Result ‘unexpected’ but friends for ever: BJP

The BJP on Tuesday termed as ‘‘unexpected’’ the Congress-TRS sweep in Andhra Pradesh, even as it ruled out any review of its ties with the TDP. The party also expressed confidence that the outcome of the Lok Sabha polls in the state would be ‘‘altogether different’’.

‘‘We are surprised by the results. We did not expect this kind of performance,’’ party spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said. The party will ‘‘find out’’ the reasons for the debacle of the TDP-BJP alliance and take remedial measures, he said.

Naqvi, however, said there was no question of the BJP reviewing its ties with the TDP. ‘‘We are together. We have been through thick-and-thin. There is absolutely no question of our reviewing the ties with TDP,’’ he said in response to a question. He said the Lok Sabha poll outcome would be ‘‘entirely different’’ from the Assembly results as ‘‘this was the first elections to be fought on the agenda of peace, development and good governance’’. —PTI