Congress voices disappointment over poll trends

NEW DELHI: Congress today voiced disappointment over election trends in five states as they suggested that the party has lost in Kerala and Assam ruled by it and failed to make a dent in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu despite alliances.

At the same time, party spokesperson Manish Tewari said that the outcome was "not unexpected" and cited yearning for a "change" as the reason for the party's debacle in Assam, where three-term Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi was leading Congress.

"The results are disappointing but not unexpected. After 15 years Assam was perhaps looking for a change, Kerala is cyclic," he said.

With the Congress-CPI-M alliance failing to pose a threat to ruling Trinamool Congress, he said that despite the outcome, the alliance between Congress and the Left is "most natural".

Tewari's reaction came as trends indicated that BJP appears to have stormed Assam unseating Congress which also looks like losing Kerala as incumbent TMC and AIADMK are cruising comfortably to retain power in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.