BENGALURU: As the Congress surged ahead on Saturday in the Karnataka Assembly election results, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Nalin Kumar Kateel said that the onus of the party’s defeat is on him and that the BJP will work meticulously as a good opposition party in the state.
The Congress is on its way to scoring an emphatic victory in the Karnataka polls. Congress is at 136 including 10 seats that the party has won so far and 126 seats where it is leading. BJP continues to lead in 60 seats.
Kateel said, “I take responsibility for the defeat as the state president. I will work responsibly as a good opposition party in the state”. He expressed gratitude to the voters of the state and especially to workers who have worked round the clock for the party. “Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai worked for the overall development. We will, however, analyze the reason for the setback”, said Kateel.
Earlier, BJP leader BS Yediyurappa said victory and defeat are not new for the party and it will introspect on the setback. “Victory and defeat aren’t new to BJP. Starting from just two seats, the party had a formed government on its own strength. Party workers need not be disheartened by these results”.
“The state government, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had undertaken development-oriented work, but we will introspect about the setback to the party. Our party will stand with the development of Karnataka and we respectfully accept the people’s verdict. I also thank the voters”, he said.
Union minister Shobha Karandlaje, who was in the forefront of the party’s campaing, said, “In a democracy, electoral victories and losses are common. Today, the citizens of the state have blessed the Congress and we will work as a responsible and good Opposition highlighting the issues of the people. All the best to the Congress. They have made mistakes in the past and shamed Hindus. I hope they will not indulge in such things and work for everyone”.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai conceded defeat and said that the BJP will come back victorious in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. “We’ve not been able to make the mark. Once the complete results come, we will do a detailed analysis. As a national party, we will not only analyse, but also see what deficiencies and gaps were left at various levels. We take this result in our stride”, he said.