Shanghai: Noting that the Congress-led alliance's victory in Maharashtra Assembly elections has come despite the anti-incumbency factor, senior party leader S Jaipal Reddy today (Oct 17, 2004) said the poll outcome has dealt a "long-term blow" to the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party).

"With this election, the BJP has received a long-term blow in the country. The BJP's appeal has gone down," Reddy, Minister for Culture and Information and Broadcasting, said in Shanghai commenting on the poll outcome.

Final party position for Maharashtra Assembly

"It is another massive demonstration of the growing support to the Congress-led forces in the country," he told.

"It is important to note that we have achieved the spectacular victory despite the anti-incumbency factor and (Congress) party rebels," Reddy, who is visiting Shanghai, the east Chinese city, to attend a multilateral meeting, said.

"We have been in power in Maharashtra for five years," he noted.

"Despite the anti-incumbency factor, which is quite common in polls in India, the Congress-led alliance has won," he said.

He also pointed out that the BJP-Shiv Sena combine had performed better than the Congress-led alliance in the last Lok Sabha polls in the State.

"Thus our victory (in Maharashtra) is all the more spectacular," the Minister said.