Modi has tremendous vigour, praises Tharoor

Jaipur: Senior Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for leading the BJP to a thumping win in Uttar Pradesh.

Tharoor who was speaking at Jaipur Literature Festival credited the PM's vigour and dynamism for the BJP victory in UP where Congress was reduced to just 2 seats from 7.

However, he accused the PM of unleashing communal forces in the country and said that while voters have given the BJP what they wanted but one day they will surprise the saffron party. He also defended Priyanka Gandhi, saying she should not be blamed for the Congress party debacle in Uttar Pradesh. "I think the issues are rather larger for the party as well as for party viability in some states where our presence has been systematically going down over the last 30 years," he said.

Tharoor further said that he was surprised over the political analysts describing the UP poll results as a "foregone conclusion", and said that very few predicted BJP's victory until the exit polls came out. "Many people had not expected that BJP will come in power once again with such a majority. Samajwadi Party's (SP) seats have increased and hence they will prove to be a good opposition," added the Congress leader.