Congress leader Oscar Fernandes on Wednesday said that the party’s thumping victory in Karnataka is very much an impact of Rahul Gandhi’s campaigning.
“Rahul Gandhi had started work very early. He interacted with students, the poor, the youth and also interacted with elected representatives. Rahul Gandhi had also held a very big rally in Karnataka,” he told mediapersons at theAICC Headquarters here.
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, who had campaigned aggressively in Karnataka, had charged the BJP with having created a world record in graft and being a champion of corruption.
Gandhi, who also criticised the BJP for not concentrating on issues of employment and youth development, had assured the people of Karnataka that the Congress Party would focus on issues related to water, employment and power if elected to power.
Fernandes further said the Congress Party had given a good manifesto in Karnataka and will retain its focus on serving the poor.
Congress made a spectacular come back in Karnataka wresting power after seven years in its old southern fortress.
The Congress Party on Wednesday returned to power in Karnataka with an absolute majority.
The party has crossed the magic number, winning 116 seats in the 224 Member Assembly out of 214 results declared so far. It is also leading in five other constituencies.
The BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) were in neck and neck race with both winning 40 seats each.
Former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa’s Karnataka Janatha Party won six seats, while the Independents and others have won 16 seats.
Prominent winners in the assembly elections are: Congress leader Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister Jagdish Shettar of BJP, Janata Dal (Secular) State President, H.D. Kumaraswamy, KJP leader Yeddyurappa, former Union Minister and Kannada Cine Star, M.H.Ambareesh of Congress, Deputy Chief Minister and BJP candidate, R. Ashoka, BSR Congress Party Chief and former Minister, B. Sriramulu, Congress candidate Dr. Ajay Dharam Singh, son of former Chief Minister Dharam Singh, former Chief Minister S.Bangarappa’s son Madhu Bangarappa of the JDS, Priyanka M. Kharge, daughter of Union Minister, Mallikarjun Kharge of Congress and former Union Minister V. Srinivasa Prasad of Congress. Sitting JD(S) MP N. Chaluvaraya Swamy has also won.
The prominent losers are Deputy Chief Minister Eshwarappa of the BJP, KPCC President Dr. G. Parameshwara, former Union Minister C.M.Ibrahim and Anita Kumaraswamy.
Celebrations have begun at the Congress Headquarters in Bangalore and in Delhi . The race for the chief minister’s post has also begun with senior party leader K. Siddaramaiah being seen as one of the front-runners for the coveted position.
Elections in Karnataka were conducted for 223 seats. Elections in one constituency – Periyapatna — was deferred to May 28 due to the death of the BJP candidate. (ANI)