With the Congress making a spectacular comeback in Karnataka, senior party leader K. Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said he is confident that the national leadership would back him to become the state”s new chief minister.
“Let us see, I am confident that national party will certainly back me,” said Siddaramaiah, when asked that the Congress has too many contenders for the coveted post.
“The question of management doesn”t arise at all. See. it is left to the legislation party and the high command. Let us see what the high command takes a decision,” he added.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Janatha Party (KJP) leader Shobha Karandlaje said that her political outfit has taught the BJP a lesson
despite not being able to make a mark in the state assembly election.
“No it”s okay, ours is a new party, only four months old party. We will build our party. We are not disappointed because we know that it is very new, our symbol is very new, our persons are new, party is new, that”s why we will fight it in future. BJP learnt a lesson; we wanted to teach a lesson to BJP, that we did,” said Karandlaje.
Congress returned to power in Karnataka with an absolute majority. The party won 116 seats in the 224 member assembly.
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 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.
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)