‘Expected to win 14-15 seats…will analyse’: DK Shivakumar on Congress performance in LS polls

BENGALURU: After a meeting on the Congress performance in Lok Sabha polls in the state, state party president D K Shivakumar on Thursday said that they will analyse where they made mistakes as Congress expected to win 14-15 seats in the general elections.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the BJP won 17 seats, the Congress won nine and the Janata Dal (Secular) won two seats.

“We went to nine seats from one seat, we had expected to win 14-15 seats. We held a party meeting today to analyse where we made mistakes… I know BJP and JD(S) will fight together in alliance. We are looking at what we can do in the future”, Shivakumar told reporters.

On the state Congress meeting over Lok Sabha results, minister M B Patil said, “In the meeting, it was discussed why we could not reach the 15 seats target. I briefed about my parliamentary segment.”

#WATCH | Bengaluru | On NCSC notice to Karnataka over alleged diversion of SC/ST funds, State Deputy CM DK Shivakumar says, “We have made a law in the state that a particular amount of money will be spent on a particular community. There is nothing wrong with it. Earlier, Andhra… pic.twitter.com/tXctfQMapT

— ANI (@ANI) July 11, 2024

Over the Enforcement Directorate raids in the Valmiki Development Corporation case were unwarranted, Shivakumar said that there was no need for the ED to conduct raid.

“There was no need for the ED raid. Our SIT officers have already done an investigation and money has been recovered. The CBI have already filed an FIR and they have provisions to take up the investigation, ED doesn’t have that provision. There is a procedure for how it can be done, not on NR Ramesh or somebody’s complaint ED can do an investigation”, he added.

The development comes after ED conducted raids at many places on Wednesday allegedly linked to former Karnataka Minister B Nagendra and MLA Basanagouda Daddal in connection with the embezzlement of funds in Valmiki Development Corporation.

On NCSC’s notice to Karnataka over the alleged diversion of SC/ST funds, Shivakumar said that there is nothing wrong with it. “We have brought a law, whatever money we are spending, we are spending to the same community people, like this percentage of money we are going to spend on the concerned. First, it was brought in Andhra Pradesh, then we have brought it. There is nothing wrong in it”, he said.

The BJP and JD(S) allied to contest the Lok Sabha election in Karnataka, with the former fighting on 25 seats, while the latter is contesting on three seats.

In the 2019 elections, the BJP almost swept the state by winning 25 out of 28 seats. Congress and JD(S), which were in coalition in the state government, could win only one seat each while one Independent also won. (ANI)