New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday evening congratulated the Congress on its emphatic victory in the Karnataka Assembly elections.
Modi, who led a high-voltage campaign in the state, wished the Congress all the best for “fulfilling the aspirations of the people”.
He also thanked people who supported the BJP in the Karnataka elections, tweeting: “I appreciate the hard work of BJP workers. We look forward to serving Karnataka with even greater enthusiasm in the times to come.
By 5:30 pm, the Congress had already won 113 seats and was leading in another 23 seats in the 224-seat assembly.
The incumbent BJP, which was the single largest party in 2018 with 104 seats, could only manage 64.
The Janata Dal (Secular), a former ally of the Congress, had won four and was leading in 16 seats around the same time.
Sometime back, BJP’s outgoing chief minister Basavaraj Bommai had taken full responsibility for his party’s defeat, saying there were many reasons behind the defeat and he would identify all of them.
He said the party would rectify its mistakes and come back strongly for the 2024 parliamentary elections. He further said that despite Modi’s efforts, the party could not make a mark in the state elections.
Former Congress chief minister Siddaramaiah described his party’s victory as a “stepping stone” for 2024 and expressed hope that Rahul Gandhi would become the next prime minister. He also hoped that all non-BJP parties would come together in the general elections and ensure BJP’s defeat.
The veteran Karnataka leader said the results are a mandate against Modi, Amit Shah and JP Nadda. “PM had come to Karnataka 20 times. No PM has done such propaganda in the past.
Siddaramaiah, who was the Chief Minister from 2013 to 2018, is a strong contender for that chair this time too.
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