Kakade asks the BJP party to introspect over poll performance

A Rajya Sabha member, who is an

associate member of the BJP, Tuesday said the Assembly poll

results are a 'warning bell' for the party ahead of the Lok

Sabha elections.

Sanjay Kakade, a Pune-based builder, also asked the

party to introspect over the poll performance.

"I am of the opinion that the BJP should stick to

development agenda and not to caste (mobilisation), changing

names of cities or a (Ram) temple. We need to revert to the

track of development," Kakade said.

"What the BJP has been doing so far is Mandir-Masjid,

changing names of cities, caste politics. Even if we win MP

with a slender margin, I will call it our defeat," Kakade

said.

Kakade said he was not surprised with Congress gaining

decisive leads in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan and TRS's winning

performance in Telangana, but Madhya Pradesh was a shocker.

"The decisive trends in these four major states are a

warning bell for us ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

If we do not learn from it, it will be difficult for us,"

Kakade said.

"I have personally surveyed these four states. I am

not surprised by the losses in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.

The shocking result is of Madhya Pradesh. It looks like we

have deviated from the development promises made ahead of 2014

general elections," he said.

Kakade, 51, also asked BJP to introspect after the

setback in the Assembly elections.

"Despite having (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi, (BJP

chief) Amit Shah (as star campaigners) and a strong network of

RSS in Madhya Pradesh, if the performance is negative it means

some introspection is required," said the Rajya Sabha member.

"There are 65 MPs from these states, of which 62 are

of BJP and three are of Congress. We need to take it (results)

seriously," he said.

Kakade is no stranger to controversial comments.

Ahead of the results of the 2017 Gujarat Assembly

elections, he had said: "Forget absolute majority, the party

(BJP) will not even get enough number of seats to form the

government. The Congress, on the other hand, will reach close

to the majority mark."