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Will implement all five promises, Kharge assures people after Congress victory in Karnataka

May 14, 2023, 8:05 pm

Following the landslide victory of Congress in the Karnataka assembly election, party’s president Mallikarjun Kharge assured the people on Sunday that the party will fulfill all five promises made to the public in the party’s manifesto after the formation of the cabinet.

During the Karnataka Assembly elections, the Congress tried to keep the narrative focused on local issues. The Congress placed a high value on its five guarantees – Gruha Jyothi, Gruha Lakshmi, Anna Bhagya, Yuva Nidhi, and Shakti – with party leaders promising immediate implementation if the party is elected.

While talking to the reporters, Kharge said, “People of Karnataka have rejected BJP and brought the Congress party back to power. People have given us a record number of votes. We will implement all 5 promises that we made to the public in our manifesto after we form our cabinet.”

“CLP meeting will be held today and will hand over the report to the high command after which the high command will take its time to declare the name of the Chief Minister of Karnataka,” Kharge added.

Kharge appointed three observers in Karnataka for the election of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader in the state on Sunday, including former Maharashtra chief minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and party leaders Jitendra Singh and Deepak Babaria.

Meanwhile taking to his social media, KC Venugopal said, “Congress President has deputed Sushil Kumar Shinde (Former Chief Minister, Maharashtra), Jitendra Singh (AICC GS) and Deepak Babaria (former AICC GS) as observers for the election of the Congress Legislative party (CLP) Leader of Karnataka.”

For the next 5 years win people’s hearts, Kapil Sibal’s message to Congress

May 14, 2023, 5:25 pm

A day after the Congress won the Karnataka assembly elections, Rajya Sabha member Kapil Sibal advised his former party to win “people’s hearts” in the state for the next five years by being “open, honest, and non-discriminatory.”

In a tweet, Sibal wrote, “Karnataka, winning elections is tough. Winning people’s hearts is tougher! For the next 5 years win people’s hearts by being: open, honest, non-discriminatory.”

He further added, “BJP lost for not being any of this!”

Sibal, a Union minister in successive Congress-led UPA governments, resigned from the Congress in May last year and was elected to the upper house as an Independent member with the support of the Samajwadi Party.

Sibal was also a member of the G23, a group of dissenting Congress leaders who expressed concerns about the party’s functioning and called for reforms and introspection. He recently launched ‘Insaaf,’ a non-electoral platform aimed at combating injustice.

Earlier while reacting to the Karnataka election results, Sibal penned, “The PM lost, The people of Karnataka won. No to: 40%, Kerala story, Divisive politics, Arrogance, Falsehood. Congress deserved to win.”

In Karnataka, the Congress successfully ran an aggressive campaign against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on corruption and price rises, winning 135 seats in the 224-member assembly. The grand old increased its vote share by more than 4% across Karnataka’s various regions.

Congress Legislative Party meeting today could determine the next chief minister of Karnataka.

May 14, 2023, 1:59 pm

After decisively defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka on Saturday, the Congress now has to choose a new chief minister amid rumours that Siddaramaiah is the front-runner, followed by state party chairman DK Shivakumar.

Karnataka Congress officials, including the party president and freshly elected MLAs of the party, will conduct a Congress Legislature Party meeting today in Bengaluru with the goal of making a decision. Sources claim that the leaders would adopt a resolution empowering the party’s high command to choose the faces of the chief minister and the deputy chief minister.

According to source, “Siddaramaiah is the first front-runner for the CM Post, so the Congress high command is in favour of making him the chief minister, they added that in recognition of his efforts, the party’s leadership has offered him the position of Deputy CM.

Shivakumar has also been promised a significant ministry, source said.

After winning the elections in Karnataka, which the party referred to as a “stepping stone to the Lok Sabha polls,” sources claim that Congress wants to promote OBC Kurba Samaj member Siddaramaiah for the position of chief minister. According to sources, the party is considering no less than three deputy chief ministers for Karnataka.

“DK Shivakumar of Vokkaliga Samaj, G Parameshwara of Dalit Samaj, and MB Patil of Lingayat Samaj should be the Deputy CM with him,” they said.

“Congress has also told Shivakumar that there are ED cases against him, which BJP will create a ruckus about. So he accepted the proposal till 2024. Shivakmar is ready for this, but he does not want another deputy CM,” sources added.

Earlier today, Congress MLAs including Dinesh Gundu Rao, Rizwan Arshad, Puttaranga Shetty C and Satish Jarkiholi met party leader Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru today ahead of the party’s CLP meeting.

Arrived at the Bengaluru home of the party’s national president Mallikarjun Kharge were Siddaramaiah and Congress MLA Priyank Kharge.

Following the party’s victory in the Karnataka elections, Congress leaders Bhai Jagtap, Sanjay Nirupam, and other party members chanted “Hanuman Chalisa” at a temple in Mumbai.

After winning the elections, DK Shivakumar, the president of the Karnataka Congress, travelled with his family to Nonavinakere Kadasiddeshwara Mutt to seek the blessings of Vrishabha Deshikendra Seer.

In the Karnataka Assembly elections, the Congress gained 135 seats, displacing the BJP from power, which took home 66 seats.

PM Modi congratulates Congress on Karnataka win

May 13, 2023, 6:16 pm

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated the Congress for its win in the Karnataka assembly polls and wished the party best in its endeavour to fulfilling people’s aspirations.

“I thank all those who have supported us in the Karnataka elections. I appreciate the hardwork of BJP Karyakartas. We shall serve Karnataka with even more vigour in the times to come,” he said in another tweet.

The Congress is headed to a big win as it won 121 seats and was leading in 15 more in the elections to the 224-member assembly.

The Congress crossed the 113-seat mark in the Assembly elections, the majority required to form the government, in Karnataka for which counting of votes took place on Saturday. According to the Election Commission website, the party won 122 seats and was leading in 14 constituencies.

On the other hand, the BJP won 56 seats and was ahead in eight segments. The JD(S) emerged victorious in 18 seats and was leading in two constituencies. Two independents, one candidate each from ‘Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha’ and ‘Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha’ won.

Strength of poor defeated power of crony capitalists: Rahul Gandhi

May 13, 2023, 5:41 pm

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hailed the party’s victory in the Karnataka assembly polls and said that the people of the state defeated the politics of hate. The Congress crossed the halfway mark in the trends and is well set to form the government in the state.

Addressing reporters at the Congress headquarters here in the national capital, Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress stood in support of the poor. “The poor defeated crony capitalists in Karnataka. What I really liked about this election is that we did not fight the battle with hatred. We fought the elections with love,” he said.

“I want to thank all the party leaders and workers in Karnataka. Karnataka mein Nafrat ki bazaar band hui hai, Mohabbat ki dukaane khuli hai. We fought on behalf of the poor. We did not fight this battle using hatred and the wrong words. This will happen in every state,” Rahul Gandhi told the mediapersons here.

The Congress successfully wresting power in Karnataka after Himachal Pradesh will be a morale booster for the party in reviving its electoral fortunes and strengthening its credentials as the main opposition player against the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Siddaramaiah wins from Varuna, becomes MLA for 9th time

May 13, 2023, 4:45 pm

Senior Congress leader and former chief minister Siddaramaiah got a landslide victory in the Varuna constituency on Saturday, defeating his nearest rival by a margin of 46,006 votes and entering the Karnataka Assembly for the ninth time.

The 75-year-old leader got 1,19,430 votes against 73,424 polled by his BJP rival and influential Lingayat leader V Somanna. The Bahujan Samaj Party candidate was in third place with 1,075 votes, according to the Election Commission website.

Five-time MLA and outgoing state Housing Minister Somanna was moved out of his Govindaraj Nagar constituency in Bengaluru for the first time to take the Congress strongman head-on on his home turf. In 2018, Siddaramaiah left the Varuna seat for his son S Yathindra and went on to contest from Chamundeshwari and Badami. While he lost in Chamundeshwari to JD(S) candidate G T Deve Gowda, he defeated the BJP’s B Sriramulu by a slender margin of 1,996 votes in Badami.

Congress at 136 as it leads in 57 seats, BJP wins 39 in Karnataka elections

May 13, 2023, 4:20 pm

As the counting of votes is underway on Saturday for the Karnataka Assembly elections, Congress has won 79 seats while leading in 57 constituencies, according to the Election Commission (EC) data.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won 39 seats and leading in 25 so far. Janata Dal (Secular) has won 14 seats and leading in six seats. Further, Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha and Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha won one seat each. Also, two independent candidates won in two constituencies. Congress is heading for a handsome victory in Karnataka and is poised to win 136 seats. BJP is expected to win 64 seats.

The counting of votes began at 8 am amid tight security across the state. Karnataka went to the polls on May 10 for the 224-member state assembly and saw a record polling of 72.68 per cent. A party needs 113 seats to get the majority.

CM will be chosen through consensus: Mallikarjun Kharge

May 13, 2023, 3:52 pm

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Saturday that the party’s victory in Karnataka is an outcome of the “collective work” of party leaders and workers and that the party would work towards consensus to choose its chief ministerial candidate.

Talking to reporters as the trends showed an emphatic Congress victory, Kharge said people of all communities voted for the Congress. He said the party will work towards fulfilling its election promises. Kharge hails from Karnataka, and the assembly election was crucial for him. His son, Priyank Kharge, won from Chittapur.

“I thank the people of Karnataka for giving a huge mandate to Congress. We will respect the mandate and uphold people’s belief in us. We will implement all the welfare schemes we have announced in our manifesto. I thank Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and also Sonia Gandhi, who campaigned even when she wasn’t well,” Kharge said.

Targeting the BJP, he said the people have defeated a party’s government “that had indulged in corruption”. “People of all communities voted for us. Now, we have to go the distance and fulfil the promises and guarantees we made to the public. This is a result of the collective work of our workers, from booth to state level. They worked under collective leadership,” Kharge said.

Asked about the chief ministerial face, Kharge said that the name will be decided after a meeting of MLAs and central observers. “There is a process for this (choosing CM). We will call a meeting of MLAs. The central observers will also come, after which we will know everybody’s opinion and build a consensus,” he added.

The Congress is heading for a handsome victory in Karnataka and is poised to win 135 seats. The BJP is expected to win 65 seats.

‘Modi is not invincible’: Upbeat Opposition targets PM after Karnataka results

May 13, 2023, 3:41 pm

On Saturday, opposition leaders praised the Congress for winning in Karnataka and complimented the state’s residents, claiming that this victory has demonstrated that “Modi is not invincible.”

TMC MP Mahua Moitra tweeted, “Thank you, Karnataka. For choosing LPG over Bajrangbaliji.” CPI (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya also thanked the people of the state for the mandate. “Thank you, #Karnataka, for giving such a fitting rebuff to not just the corrupt and non-performing Bommai regime but to the hate-filled and arrogant Modi-Shah-Yogi campaign. It has set the stage for the forthcoming elections and encouraged every defender of democracy across India,” he said in a tweet.

“Pro-poor promises and a secular stance helped Congress score the historic Karnataka victory. It urges them to learn the necessary lessons and to be more responsible in national politics. Modi is never invincible. If all secular forces are united, 2024 will see the end of the BJP Raj,” said Communist Party of India (CPI) MP Binoy Viswam.

Jairam Ramesh also tweeted, “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!”

‘Will introspect party’s setback’, Yediyurappa on Karnataka polls

May 13, 2023, 3:24 pm

As Congress surged ahead on Saturday in the Karnataka assembly elections results, Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leader BS Yediyurappa said victory and defeat are not new for the party, and it will reflect on the setback.

The Congress is on its way to scoring an emphatic victory in the Karnataka polls. Congress is at 136, including 10 seats that the party has won so far and 126 seats where it is leading. The BJP continues to lead in 60 seats. “Victory and defeat aren’t new to the BJP. Party workers need not be panicked by these results. We will reflect on the party’s setback. I respectfully accept this verdict,” said BJP leader Yediyurappa on the party’s defeat in Karnataka.

Earlier, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai conceded defeat and said that the BJP would come back victorious in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The Congress surged ahead, leading in 124 seats at noon, while the BJP was ahead in 69 seats and the JD(S) in 24 seats.

Bommai said that once the results are out, a detailed analysis will be done to analyse the gaps that were left at various levels. “We’ve not been able to make the mark. Once the results come in, we will do a detailed analysis. As a national party, we will not only analyse but also see what deficiencies and gaps were left at various levels. We take this result in stride,” said Basavaraj Bommai.

He further added that all the efforts put in by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP workers weren’t able to make the mark. “In spite of a lot of efforts put in by the PM and BJP workers, we’ve not been able to make the mark. Once the full results come in, we’ll do a detailed analysis. We take this result in stride to come back in the Lok Sabha elections,” said Bommai.

Karnataka results stepping stone to Lok Sabha polls: Siddaramaiah

May 13, 2023, 2:23 pm

Congress leader Siddaramaiah said on Saturday that with the mandate for the party in the Karnataka Assembly elections, he hopes for Rahul Gandhi to become the prime minister of the country.

The Congress leader hoped that Rahul Gandhi, who was the prime ministerial candidate of the Congress in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, would become Prime Minister in 2024. Describing the results of the Karnataka Assembly polls as a mandate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Siddaramaiah said that they would act as a “stepping stone” to the Lok Sabha election slated for next year.

“The result of this election is a stepping stone to the Lok Sabha election. I hope all non-BJP parties come together and see that the BJP is defeated, and I also hope Rahul Gandhi may become PM of the country,” Siddaramaiah said.

Congress crossed the halfway mark in trends in the ongoing counting of votes for the Karnataka Assembly polls. “It is a mandate against Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and JP Nadda. The PM had come to Karnataka 20 times; no PM in the past campaigned like this,” Siddaramaiah said.

Commenting on the results of the May 10 Assembly elections, in which Congress is leading in 129 seats besides winning 4 seats, as per the Election Commission data till 1.30 pm, he said that the party will cross 130 seats.

“We will cross 130 seats also; it is a big victory for the Congress party. The people of Karnataka wanted a change because they were fed up with the BJP government. The BJP spent a lot of money on Operation ‘Kamala’. “The Padyatra of Rahul Ji helped as well in the enthusing cadre of the party,” Siddaramaiah said.

Siddaramaiah also tweeted. “This is a victory for a secular party! “The people of Karnataka wanted a stable government that delivers as promised, and hence they have given the mandate to Congress!”

‘I had promised…will deliver State into party’s fold’, DK Shivakumar

May 13, 2023, 2:01 pm

In key constituency of Kanakapura, Congress’ Karnataka unit chief DK Shivakumar marked a dominating victory with a margin of over 55,000 votes. Shivakumar was up against BJP’s R Ashoka and JD(S)’s B Nagaraju.

An emotional Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar broke down on Saturday as his party looked poised towards forming the next government in the State. He also recalled his stint in jail in 2019.

Shivakumar thanked the party cadre and workers for the results. “I can’t forget Sonia Gandhi visiting me in jail…when BJP people put me in jail,” Shivakumar who was almost choking with emotion said.

Speaking to reporters, the Karnataka Congress Pradesh Committee (KPCC) chief said, “I credit my cadre and all my party leaders, they worked hard. People have lent faith in us, they supported us. It is a collective leadership and we jointly worked. I said in the beginning, joining the party is beginning…the day I took the oath, thinking together is progress, and working together is success”.

Shivakumar recalled his time in jail in the year 2019 for over 50 days in ED custody in connection with an alleged money laundering case.

“I had promised Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge that I will deliver the state to their fold. When these BJP people put me in jail, I remember Sonia Gandhi came to meet me there. Such is the faith the party, the Gandhi family and the whole country bestowed on me,” he said.

Shivakumar said that he will again address the media and party workers after some time.
“I thank all the MLAs in the state, including Siddaramaiah. Every leader who worked from block to the booth level, including my AICC leaders and general secretaries. I have a lot of things to tell, but I will come later and meet you all at Bharat Jodo Bhavan,” the senior Congress leader said.

Congress extrapolates PM Modi over early trends from Karnataka elections

May 13, 2023, 1:07 pm

Celebrations had begun at Congress headquarters in Delhi in anticipation of victory as the election trends trickled in. According to the ECI’s latest data at 12.30 pm, Congress is leading in 131 seats, while the BJP is ahead in 66 seats, JD is leading in 21 and others in 5.

Jairam Ramesh took this opportunity to take a swing at PM Modi and the BJP on his Twitter handle. He highlighted the agendas presented by Congress across election campaigns, while downplaying BJP’s campaign.

Jairam tweeted, “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!”

“The Congress party fought these elections on local issues of livelihood and food security, price rises, farmer distress, electricity supply, joblessness, and corruption. 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,” he further stated in his tweet.

Karnataka: ‘Somanna will lose in both Varuna and Chamarajanagar’ says Former CM Siddaramaiah

May 13, 2023, 12:33 pm

Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah said today that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s V Somanna will be defeated from both Varuna and Chamarajanagar constituencies as the results of the Assembly polls are declared later in the day.

The early trends for Karnataka assembly election results showed Congress crossing the halfway mark and Siddaramaiah leading from the Varuna constituency. The BJP has fielded Somanna from both Varuna and Chamarajanagar constituencies.

He is trailing in Varuna by 8354 votes against Siddaramaiah and in Chamarajanagar by 7383 votes against C. Puttarangashetty. There was a lot of curiosity around the battle for the Varuna constituency, where Congress stalwart and former chief minister Siddaramaiah is pitted against the BJP’s V Somanna, a state minister, and Dr. Bharathi Shankar of the JD(S).

“V Sommana will lose in both Varuna and Chamarajanagar seats. We had said that even if PM Modi came, nothing would work, and see what has happened. As we expected, we will get a majority,” said Siddaramaiah. Congress leader Siddaramaiah is leading from the Varuna constituency with 60.78 percent of the votes.

According to the trends of all the 224 Assembly constituencies declared till 11.55 am, Congress surged ahead in 118 seats, the BJP in 75 seats, and the JDS in 24 seats. There was a celebratory mood at the Congress office in Bengaluru as the party consolidated its lead.

The party workers celebrated at the residence of Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakaumar in Bengaluru as the Congress party surged ahead and crossed the halfway mark in the polls.

40 percent slogan accepted by public: Pilot on early trends in Karnataka polls

May 13, 2023, 11:45 am

As the early trends in Karnataka showed the Congress party crossing the halfway mark in Karnataka, Sachin Pilot said on Saturday that the issue of “corruption” raised by the party against the ruling BJP turned out to be decisive in the victory.

The former Deputy Chief Minister made these remarks during the third day of his ‘Jan Sangharsh Yatra’ in Ajmer’s Zisani on Saturday. Pilot said, “Congress has the majority. We will have a thumping victory. The slogan “40 percent commission government,” given by us, was accepted by the public. It was a major issue raised by us to defeat the BJP. People accepted it and gave the majority to the Congress”.

Notably, “40 percent commission government” was a political jibe used by Congress against the ruling BJP, alleging several corruption charges under its tenure.

Meanwhile, as per the early trends of counting for the Karnataka assembly elections, the Congress party stood in a comfortable position to form the majority by crossing the halfway mark and was seen leading on 115 seats at 10:40 am.

The BJP, on the other hand, was ahead with 73 seats. JD (S) was leading with 23 seats. While the ECI data also showed two seats being led by other parties, Kalyana and Rajya Pragati Paksha and Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha both led on one seat each.

Karnataka Assembly elections: Polling ends with 65.69% voter turnout until 5 pm

May 10, 2023, 6:35 pm

Polling for the Karnataka Assembly ended at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, with the overall voter turnout at 65.69% as of 5 p.m., according to the Election Commission (EC).

According to the EC, the Chickaballapur district had the highest polling rate until 5 p.m., at 76.64 percent, while the BBMP (South) district had the lowest, at 48.63 percent. Up until 5 p.m., Bangalore Rural had 76.10 percent of the vote, with Bagalkot trailing at 70.04 percent and Bangalore Urban at 52.19 percent.

The EC also stated that B.B.M.P (Central) and B.B.M.P (North) had turnouts of 50.10 percent and 50.02 percent, respectively, until 5 p.m. The voter turnout was 52.18 percent until 3 p.m., up from 37.25 percent at 1 p.m. and 20.99 percent at 11 a.m.

Karnataka’s 224 Assembly constituencies went to the polls at 7 a.m. on Wednesday.