Karnataka results: People rejected Congress’ divisive politics, says Nirmala Sitharaman

Senior BJP leaders hailed the BJP’s victory in Karnataka elections as a sign that it was a party of the masses.

With the BJP set for an impressive win in the Karnataka assembly poll, its leaders described the victory as an endorsement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s development agenda and claimed that people have rejected divisive, toxic and negative agenda of the Congress.

According to the Election Commission figures, the BJP is leading in over 112 seats and appears set for getting a majority.

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman said it is a historic day for the party and the win was an endorsement of Modi’s development agenda. People have rejected divisive, toxic and negative politics of the Congress, she said.

People, however, went for Modi’s development agenda, she added.
Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also took a swipe at Congress president Rahul Gandhi, saying somebody was dreaming of becoming prime minister, a reference to Gandhi’s statement during the Karnataka poll campaign that he was ready for the job if his party emerged victorious in the next Lok Sabha elections.

Prakash Javadekar, another Union minister who was also in charge of the state’s election, said the BJP won because it is a party of the masses while the Congress is a party of a dynasty.

“This is a victory of Modi and party president Amit Shah’s strategy,” he said.

Polling in Karnataka was held for 222 of the 224 Assembly seats on May 12.

Polling for R R Nagar seat was deferred on account of alleged electoral malpractices, while it was countermanded in Jayanagar seat following the death of the BJP candidate.