UP Election Results 2017: Priyanka equally responsible for Congress' defeat in state, claims Smriti Irani

New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh election results not only underline Rahul Gandhi’s failure, but also that of Priyanka Gandhi who was part of the poll strategy, Union Minister Smriti Irani said on Saturday. [caption id=“attachment_2749648” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Union Minister Smriti Irani. PTI[/caption] Taking a dig at Rahul over Congress’ poor performance in the crucial state polls, Irani said only blaming the AICC vice president “will be an injustice to him”. “One has to do justice. This is not only Mr Rahul Gandhi’s failure. Ghulam Nabi Azad had very magnanimously claimed that Priyanka is very much part of the strategy.” “I think the sibling (Priyanka) waiting in the wings has equally failed. So to say only Rahul has failed will be an injustice to him,” she told reporters. The Union textile minister said that she would like to ask the Congress vice president in “Akhilesh style” that “khao ganga maa ki kasam aur batao UP ko kiska saath pasand hai” (Swear in the name of mother Ganga and say who does Uttar Pradesh like). Irani had contested against Rahul Gandhi from Amethi in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and lost. On being asked whether she was a contender for the chief minister’s post, the BJP leader said there was no need to speculate and that the party’s Parliamentary Board will take a decision in this regard. The party’s massive win in the state is a victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government at the Centre, she said. “In our party merit wins over dynasty. This is one political organisation which has made a humble citizen as the prime minister of the country. This victory is the victory of the Modi government and its policies,” Irani added. The BJP and its allies marched ahead in 305 Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh as per trends from all the 403 seats, which showed the SP-Congress coalition leading in 68 places and BSP in only 20.