Congress admits fringe status: Arun Jaitley

Seizing on to Congress general secretary’s remarks that her party will not adversely impact the prospects of the SP-BSP alliance in India’s politically most crucial state, BJP leader and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley termed it a “confessional statement” about her party becoming a “fringe organisation”. 

“This is her confessional statement about the Congress becoming a fringe organisation... A mainstream party, the grand old party of Indian politics is now a fringe organisation in India,” he said. 

The Congress used to be a party of 300-400 seats during the times of Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, then became a party of 125-150 seats during Rajiv Gandhi’s era and is now a party of 40-70 seats, he said, adding that the 2009 election was an exception when it won more than 200 seats. He also mocked top Congress leaders as “chunavi Hindus” (Hindus during elections) for their visits to temples during polls.