Terming the election result as a big victory for Congress, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on May 13 said this was a mandate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President J.P. Nadda.
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He said that the Congress Legislative Party meeting has been called for tomorrow and many legislators may not be able to come to Bengaluru on time.
He told reporters in Mysuru that he had predicted that Congress would get 130 seats and that the Congress has reached there. “My predictions have true. I had the party leaders also that we would get 130 seats to form our government on our strength.” He said that he always maintained that Mr. Modi will not have any impact on Karnataka elections.
Mr. Siddaramaiah said, “It is a crucial election. This result will be a stepping stone for Lok Sabha elections. I hope that all non-BJP parties will come together to defeat the BJP. I also hope that Rahul Gandhi becomes the Prime Minister of this country.” The former Chief Minister also thanked AICC President Mallikarjuna Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi besides a host of general secretaries.
He said that the people of Karnataka wanted a change because they were fed up with the BJP government. “There was strong anti-incumbency against the BJP. It did not come to power on its own whether in 2008 or 2018 as there was no mandate by the people both times since there was a fractured verdict. BJP spent a lot of money on operation Kamala. Many of those who fell prey to operation Kamala have been taught a lesson.”
Mr. Siddaramaiah said that the people of Karnataka are politically mature and they sensed the threat by the BJP to damage the secular fabric of the State. “There was hate politics. They tried to win this election with money power. They could not succeed.”
Congress has won and the PM has lost: Jairam Ramesh
“As the results firm up in Karnataka it is now certain that the Congress has won and the PM has lost. The BJP had made its election campaign a referendum on the PM and on the state getting his ‘ashirwaad’. That has been decisively rejected!” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said earlier in a tweet.
The Congress fought these elections on local issues of livelihood and food security, price rise, farmer distress, electricity supply, joblessness and corruption, he said.
“The PM injected divisiveness and attempted polarisation. The vote in Karnataka is for an engine in Bengaluru that will combine economic growth with social harmony,” Mr. Ramesh said.
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