Speaking to mediapersons on Tuesday, Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut took digs at the Congress over its depressing performance in the Bihar assembly polls. “Had the Congress performed better, Tejashwi would already have been declared chief minister,” he said, reported The Indian Express. He called the Yadav scion as the “man of the match” of the elections, stating: “He has emerged as the face of Bihar’s future. While he had no support, BJP had the entire state machinery and the might of Prime Minister Narendra Modi behind it. Still, Tejashwi managed to challenge them,” according to the publication.
In a stinging reply, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam said Sena candidates got less votes than the NOTA option in 21 out of 22 seats, and that it would be good if "they kept their mouths shut".
Nationally, across numerous bypolls, the Congress had sustained big losses. Of the 28 seats in Madhya Pradesh, the party lost 19 seats to the BJP and was leading in 8 seats it was holding, with Congress rebel Jyotiraditya Scindia posting big gains for the saffron party.
In UP and Gujarat, the Congress drew a blank in 15 bypoll seats in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. However, one consolation for the Congress was its victory in bypolls in Haryana's Baroda seat, where the BJP is in power.
