Union Labour Minister and senior Congress leader M. Mallikarjun Kharge spoke to The Hindu on the election results:
Q: How do you view the results?
A: With this, the misrule and maladministration of the Bharatiya Janata Party has come to an end. The people were fed up with corruption and fundamentalism, which the party does not want to shed.
How do you substantiate this?
The huge margins with which the Congress candidates have won defeating their BJP opponents reflect the people’s disappointment in the five-year BJP administration.
Are you staking your claim for the post of Chief Minister?
I will not say anything. I leave it to the discretion of the party high command. Let us see what it decides. Are you coming to Bangalore to participate in the Congress Legislature Party meeting, which will discuss the leadership issue?
I may not come to the city on Wednesday. Party observers may convene the CLP after a day or two, not immediately.
How do you analyse the BJP loss?
The BJP could have improved its tally had it given a good administration. More than Hindutva, which was its core agenda, corruption and misrule contributed to their dismal performance.
