Bhopal: Unable to reconcile her defeat in the just-concluded Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, senior BJP leader and former minister Archna Chitnis on Thursday vowed to make the electorates who had voted against her “cry”.
Ms Chitnis, who was women and child welfare minister in the outgoing Shivraj Singh Chouhan ministry, lost her cool while addressing her supporters in district headquarters town of Burhanpur in MP, and swore, “If I do not make the electorates who have voted against me cry, then my name is not Archna Chitnis”.
Her “undemocratic” behaviour has left political leaders cutting across party lines here shell-shocked.
“I take a pledge that I will ensure heads of those who have voted for me are held high, come what may, and also vow that I will make the electorates who either wittingly or unwittingly voted against me, cry,” she declared, invoking thunderous applause from the gathering.
Ms Chitnis who secured 93,441 votes in Burhanpur Assembly seat lost to Thakur Surendra Singh Naval, an independent candidate, by a margin of 5,120 votes. Incidentally, Nota (none of the above) bagged 5,726 votes.
A senior BJP leader here tried to downplay the issue saying that she might have made such a remark out of frustration following her defeat in the elections.
“But, she should have restrained her from speaking such language. She should have taken her defeat in right spirit. Loss and defeat in elections is no stranger to politicians”, he observed unwilling to be quoted.
Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) secretary Pavan Guwhara however described her outburst as “most unfortunate” and manifestation of undemocratic attitude.
