Karnataka results stepping stone to Lok Sabha polls: Siddaramaiah

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!”