Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said the Congress's win in the state election was a mandate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, and he hoped it would galvanise opposition parties ahead of next year's national polls.
"It is a mandate against Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and JP Nadda. They have a lot of money for Operation Kamala (poaching of MLAs), but they could not buy the people's trust. There was a threat by the BJP to the secular fabric of the state. There was hate politics, which the people of Karnataka were not tolerating," Siddaramaiah said at a news conference.
He said that the Congress party may cross 130 seats in the 224-member assembly, which would give it a comfortable majority. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai of the BJP has already conceded defeat.
"We may also cross 130. It's a big victory. People were fed up with the BJP government. They have seen how they misused power," he said.
Siddaramaiah also said that the result was "a stepping stone" for next year's Lok Sabha election and expressed hope that all non-BJP parties would come together to see that the party is defeated at the national level.
"This result is a stepping stone to the Lok Sabha election. I hope all non-BJP parties come together and see that the BJP is defeated. We need a secular and democratic government at the centre," he said.
He credited Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his aggressive campaign in Karnataka, which he said had energized the party workers and voters. He also thanked senior leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi for their support.
"Rahul Gandhi's padyatra (Bharat Jodo Yatra) also helped. He covered many districts and raised important issues. I thank Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul ji for their aggressive campaign in Karnataka," he said.
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