Issues in local bodies polls different: Congress on Madhya Pradesh results

NEW DELHI: Congress today sought to downplay BJP's big victory in Madhya Pradesh local bodies elections in spite of its high-pitch campaign against the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government over the Vyapam scam saying issues in such polls are different.

Party spokesman R P N Singh, who faced a number of questions on the issue at the AICC briefing, said that the issues in local bodies elections are different and the poll verdict would not in any way diminish the Congress campaign on the Vyapam scam, whose "magnitude has shocked the nation".

Riding high on its big victory, BJP had earlier said the mandate was a "tight slap" on the opposition's face and showed that its charges were "fabricated".

The party also underlined the "historic" rout of Congress in various local bodies to claim that its campaign in Parliament against BJP and Chief Minister Chouhan went against it and people expressed their disapproval by voting against it.