Kamal Haasan has congratulated Rahul Gandhi (File)
Veteran actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan on Saturday extended his greetings to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after the grand old party crossed the majority mark in the Karnataka assembly polls.
Congress won an absolute majority in Karnataka on Saturday with the party crossing the halfway mark of 113 seats in the 224-member assembly.
Taking to Twitter, Kamal Haasan said, "Shri @RahulGandhi ji, Heartiest Congratulations for this significant victory! Just as Gandhiji, you walked your way into people's hearts and as he did you demonstrated that in your gentle way, you can shake the powers of the world -with love and humility. Your credible and creditable approach, without bravado or chest-thumping has ushered a breath of fresh air for the people. You trusted the people of Karnataka to reject divisiveness, who in turn have unitedly reciprocated by placing their faith in you. Kudos for not just the victory but also for the manner of victory!."
Earlier in the day, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hailed the party's victory in Karnataka assembly polls and said that the people of the State defeated the politics of hate.
Addressing reporters at the Congress headquarters here in the national capital Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress stood in support of the poor.
"I want to thank all the party leaders and workers in Karnataka.
Karnataka mein Nafrat ki bazaar band hui hai, Mohabbat ki dukaane khuli hai. We fought on the issues of the poor. We did not fight this battle using hatred and wrong words. This will happen in every state," Rahul Gandhi told the mediapersons here.
Rahul Gandhi coined the 'Nafrat ki bazaar band hui hai, Mohabbat ki dukaane khuli hai' phrase "during the Bharat Jodo Yatra which he undertook last year and ended this year in Srinagar.
Earlier, Congress leader Siddaramaiah today said 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, becomes the Prime Minister in 2024.
Describing the results of the Karnataka Assembly polls as a mandate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Siddaramaiah said that it would act as a "stepping stone" to the Lok Sabha election slated 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 BJP is defeated and I also hope Rahul Gandhi may become PM of the country," Siddaramaiah said.
"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.