Hisar bypoll not a reflection of govt performance: PM

Speaking for the first time since Congress’ defeat in the much publicised and debated Hisar bypoll, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today dismissed suggestions that the Congress party’s defeat in the Lok Sabha by election is a referendum or a reflection on his government’s performance and the Congress party,  he said in Pretoria, South Africa, on the sidelines of IBSA summit. “One bye election in a particular part of the country cannot be considered a reflection on the performance of my government or Congress party,” he said. [caption id=“attachment_110890” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“One bye-election cannot be considered a reflection on the performance of my government or Congress party: Manmohan Singh”] [/caption] He was replying to a question on whether the defeat in Hisar was a referendum against his government and party. Opposition parties have called yesterday’s by election rout of the Congress as a vote against the government in the context of various scams and even a referendum against the government on corruption. Meanwhile, after Team Anna, led by Arvind Kejariwal, actively campaigned against the Congress in the Hisar bypoll, there are signs of rifts in the Team. Earlier today two core-committee members of Team Anna’s anti-corruption decided to part ways with the movement, citing unwarranted Partisan involvement of some team members. Earlier this month Santosh Hegde had openly expressed his disagreement with the Team’s involvement in the Hisar bypoll. Agencies