Don't vent frustration of assembly poll defeat inside Parliament: PM Modi to opposition

New Delhi, Dec 4: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that Winter Session of Parliament that begins on Monday is a "golden opportunity for Opposition parties to do something constructive" and asked them not to vent anger at their defeat in assembly polls inside the House.

Addressing reporters outside the Parliament before the Session commenced this morning, PM Modi urged for the cooperation of every member in the functioning of the House. He called for a productive start with constructive debates throughout the session.

"The country has rejected negativity. This is a golden opportunity for my friends in the opposition. We urge and pray for the cooperation of everyone. This time too, the process has been undertaken...Rather than venting out their anger of defeat (in assembly elections), they should take lessons from this defeat and shun the idea of negativity that has been there since last nine years and approach the session with positivity," PM Modi said.

He also said that the Parliament that is temple of democracy is essential for public aspiration and to strengthen the foundation of developed India.

Terming the results of assembly polls "encouraging" for those committed to people's welfare and country's bright future, he said, "When there is good governance, when there is devotion to public welfare, the word "anti-incumbency" becomes irrelevant. You can call it "pro-incumbency" or "good governance" or "transparency" or "concrete plans for public welfare" - but this has been the experience. After such an excellent public mandate, we are meeting at this new temple of Parliament."

A BJP tsunami swept the Hindi heartland on the counting day for four states that polled for their assemblies last month with the party getting stunning mandates in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. It stumped not just their rivals but also some pollsters who had predicted tight races in these states.

The election results in four states, especially the losses in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, came as a huge blow to the Congress's hopes for 2024 as it is now out of power across a vast swathe of the Hindi heartland.

In Rajasthan, the vote count painted a starkly different picture to what some of the pollsters had predicted, with the BJP poised to form the government, winning 115 seats, and the Congress trailing at 69 seats.

Of the 90 assembly constituencies in Chhattisgarh, the BJP bagged 54 while the Congress won 35.