Karnataka Election Results 2023: Congress sweeps past majority mark, CM Bommai takes 'responsibility' for BJP's rout

The Congress swept past the majority mark, registering its best-ever performance in Karnataka since 1999, the final results of state Assembly elections declared on Saturday showed.

The party won 136 of the total 224 seats in the Karnataka Assembly while the ruling BJP managed to secure only 65 seats.

The JD(S) came a distant third with 19 seats.

Victory in Karnataka was crucial for the Congress’ survival and for its morale boost ahead of the 2024 General Elections. It will become the fourth state where the party will be in power. Currently, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan have Congress governments.

In 1999, when the INC won 132 seats in the state and formed the government with SM Krishna as the chief minister.

With the defeat in Assembly polls, BJP has lost the only state where it was ruling in South India.

Celebrations began in Congress offices across the country as the results started trickling in. According to News18 sources, former Karnataka CM Siddaramiah is the top contender for the chief ministerial post. Speculation of a rift between Siddaramiah and state Congress chief DK Shivakumar over the CM post, has been rife.

Both leaders registered a victory in their respective constituencies.

Congress leaders have said that BJP’s rout in Karnataka is the defeat of PM Narendra Modi who campaigned extensively in the state.

#WATCH | “PM Modi thinks that by seeing his face voters will vote BJP party, this has been proved wrong,” says Congress leader Siddaramaiah#KarnatakaElectionResults2023 pic.twitter.com/P83dMB7hNS

— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2023

Meanwhile, Karnataka CM BS Bommai took “full responsibility” for the BJP’s defeat.
“I take responsibility for this debacle. There are multiple reasons for this. We will find out all the reasons and strengthen the party once again for Parliament elections,” he said.

#WATCH | #KarnatakaResults | “…I take responsibility for this debacle. There are multiple reasons for this. We will find out all the reasons and strengthen the party once again for Parliament elections..,” says Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai pic.twitter.com/JqFnjMAPhY

— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2023

Bommai registered his fourth consecutive victory from the Shiggoan constituency in Haveri district, defeating his nearest rival Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan of the Congress by a margin of 35,341 votes.

Earlier today, PM Modi congratulated Congress on its victory.

Congratulations to the Congress Party for their victory in the Karnataka Assembly polls. My best wishes to them in fulfilling people’s aspirations.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 13, 2023

Thanking the people of Karnataka, Congress party workers and leaders, Rahul Gandhi said,”I am happy we contested the Karnataka polls without using hate, bad language. We fought the polls with love. In Karnataka, ‘nafrat ka bazaar (market of hate)’ has closed down’, ‘mohabbat ki dukaanein’ (shops of love) have opened.”

ग़रीबों की शक्ति ने भाजपा के पूंजीपति मित्रों की ताकत को हराया है।

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 13, 2023

Opposition leaders also congratulated the grand old party saying that its victory showed that PM Modi “is not invincible.” and that they should work together to win 2024 to restore democracy and constitutional values in India.

“Beginning of the end for BJP before 2024 Lok Sabha polls”, said West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC head Mamata Banerjee.

My salutations to the people of Karnataka for their decisive mandate in favour of change!! Brute authoritarian and majoritarian politics is vanquished!! When people want plurality and democratic forces to win, no central design to dominate can repress their spontaneity : that is…

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 13, 2023

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said a Congress victory sends the message that the “end of the BJP’s negative, communal and corrupt politics” has begun.

Corruption issue, freebies and consolidation of Muslim votes helped Congress

A campaign against corruption, guarantees of dole and consolidation of Muslim votes appear to have underpinned the Congress victory in Karnataka that was also aided by anti-incumbency against the BJP government.

The party pledged to implement on the very first day after coming to power its poll guarantees like 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), 10 kg of rice free to every member of a BPL household (Anna Bhagya).

Also, Rs 3,000 every month for graduate youth and Rs 1,500 for diploma holders (both in the age group of 18-25) for two years (YuvaNidhi), and free travel for women in public transport buses (Shakti) were promised.

Another key factor, according to Congress leaders, was the consolidation of the Muslim votes, which accounted for nearly 13 percent of the electorate and were usually split between the Congress and JD(S), in its favour.

Also read: Karnataka election: Ten takeaways for national politics after Congress’ sweep in the Assembly polls

The party had promised to restore the four percent quota for Muslims which has been scrapped by the BJP government.

The Congress manifesto’s promise of banning the Bajrang Dal was picked up by the BJP and PM Modi aggressively to portray the grand old party as being against Lord Hanuman and the sentiments of Hindus.

However, it did not sway the people in Karnataka who voted against “misgovernance” and “rejected attempts at polarisation and division”, Congress leaders told PTI.

The election was also a prestige battle in a way for the grand old party with a Kannadiga Mallikarjun Kharge, who hails from Kalaburagi district, at its helm as the national president.

Also read: Karnataka results show BJP forgot what voters across India expect from it

The party held 99 public meetings and 33 road shows by its top state and central leaders.

While pointing at instances such as the alleged sidelining of Lingayat community leaders in the party like B S Yediyurappa, the Congress got more ammunition in a way when two senior BJP leaders from the dominant community – Jagadish Shettar (former CM) and Laxman Savadi (former Deputy CM) – joined the party over being denied ticket to contest the polls by the BJP.

By voting Congress to power, the people of Karnataka have once again followed the tradition of not voting back the ruling party since 1985.

With inputs from agencies

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