The Congress won over 130 seats, more than double that of the BJP, which was unable to break a 38-year jinx of Karnataka not voting an incumbent to power
KRC TIMES National Bureau
Bengaluru: The Congress easily 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. The election was widely seen as a litmus test for both parties ahead of the 2024 parliamentary polls.
The Congress won over 130 seats, more than double that of the BJP, which was unable to break a 38-year jinx of Karnataka not voting an incumbent to power. BJP leaders said they would wait till counting ended to analyse why and how they lost.
The JD(S), which had been hoping to emerge as the kingmaker, ended up with nearly 20 seats. Celebrations broke out at the opposition Congress headquarters in Bengaluru and Delhi.
Congress workers and leaders, desperately looking to reverse their electoral fortunes and position the party as the main opposition player in 2024, were jubilant.
Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday named former Maharashtra CM Sushil Kumar Shinde, general secretary Jitendra Singh, and former general secretary Deepak Babaria central observers for the meeting of the Karnataka legislature party meeting to choose the next state chief minister.
The observers would speak one on one with MLAs to get a broad assessment on the preferred candidate. Later, the MLAs are likely to pass a one line resolution authorising the Congress president to name the next CM of Karnataka.
Sources however indicate there’s larger agreement on Siddaramaiah who had in 2013 helmed the party when it won a full majority after 14 years. Siddaramaiah who crossed over to the Congress after differences over CM ship with the JD(S) is considered a strong Kuruba leader with mass appeal.
He led the party’s OBC, SC and Muslim consolidation besides adding Lingayat and Vokkaliga votes along with Shivakumar to deliver a much needed Karnataka win to the Congress.
Siddaramaiah, 75, had sought votes this time saying this is his last election. He is also the only former CM in the state besides Congress’ Devraj Urs to have completed his five year term.
