VARANASI: BJP MLA from Bairia in Ballia district,
Surendra Singh said corruption among government officials and employees is responsible for BJP's defeat in bypolls at
Kairana and
Noorpur. He, however, claimed that the results won't have any impact on party's prospects in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
After Gorakhpur and
Phoolpur loss, BJP faced its second successive defeat in bypolls after it conceded the Kairana Lok Sabha seat to grand opposition alliance candidate in a fierce electoral battle. RLD candidate Tabassum Hasan defeated her nearest rival BJP's Mriganka Singh by over 55,000 votes. SP candidate
Naimul Hasan won in Bijnor's Noorpur assembly constituency by 6,211 votes defeating Avani Singh of BJP. The results were declared on Thursday.
"Corruption among government employees is solely responsible for BJP defeat in the bypolls. It has reminded the party leaders that a positive message will not go to the society until working of tehsils, blocks and police stations is streamlined," he told reporters on Thursday.
Singh admitted that desired improvement in governance is yet to be achieved.
On the impact of results on 2019 LS elections, Singh said, "The BJP will fight 2019 elections with full preparedness under the leadership of Narendra Modi. Bypolls generally go against the ruling party. No problem arises in final war if one is fully prepared."
"The 2019 elections will be Modi ka charitra versus choron ka charitra (Modi's character versus thieves' character)," he said.
"Fearing Modi power, all opposition parties united against him," he said.
Singh said another reason of BJP defeat is that Modi did not campaign. "Modi's personality has more gravity than Yogi's (chief minister Yogi Adityanath," he claimed.