Bengaluru (DHNS): State BJP general secretary and MLA leader Aravind Limbavali on Sunday said the party faced a setback in the recently held byelections to Nanjangud and Gundlupet because of tacit understanding between the Congress and the JD(S) and misuse of administrative machinery by the ruling party.

“The ruling Congress used money power in the byelections. Moreover, the Congress and the JD(S) had a tacit understanding. Hence, the BJP lost the contest,” he stated, briefing the media on the opinion expressed by party leaders who attended a meeting convened by state BJP?president B S Yeddyurappa to introspect on the party’s defeat in the bypolls.

According to Limbavali, majority of those who attended the meeting said the party go ahead with its mission to win 150 seats in the next Assembly elections in the state. The leaders suggested that the party should project the achievements of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre and the previous BJP governments in the state.

K S Eshwarappa and Jagadish Shettar, Opposition leaders in the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly respectively, did not attend. Limbavali, however, said the two leaders had obtained permission to keep themselves off the meeting.

Union Minister Ananth Kumar, MP Shobha Karandlaje and other leaders were present.