Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], October 28 : A day after the NDA alliance swept the Karnataka Legislative Council elections, the BJP and JD(S) have stepped up their attack on Congress, calling the 4-0 result a direct slap to the Congress high command and a trailer for the 2028 Assembly elections.
The NDA, comprising BJP and JD(S), won all four seats that went to the polls on October 23 - West Graduates (SV Sankanur), South-East Graduates (KM Suresh Someshwara), North-East Teachers (Shasheel G Namoshi) and the high-profile Bengaluru Teachers seat (AP Ranganath). Results were declared on October 27.
BJP State President BY Vijayendra and Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy termed the victory historic and said it was a warning delivered through the ballot to Congress leadership in Delhi.
The BJP said Congress defeat is more significant because of three factors: (1) The election was held on Paper Ballot - an issue Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly demanded; (2) Congress is in power in the state - with a majority government of 135+ MLAs; and (3) The entire administrative machinery was with Congress government.
"Despite all this, NDA secured a massive victory. This shows people have lost faith in the Congress government," the BJP said.
The party further said the result exposes the Congress high command's claim that Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is a master election strategist.
"It's a slap on Congress high command leadership. It's a message that Congress is incapable of winning elections even when Congress high command leaders project DK Shivakumar as a strategist," a senior BJP leader said.
The Bengaluru Teachers seat was seen as the biggest setback, where Congress veteran and former MLC Puttanna lost to BJP-JD(S) candidate AP Ranganath.
The BJP also took a direct dig at Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who in recent months has led campaigns alleging vote theft, SIR irregularities and misuse of indelible ink.
"So, Mr. Rahul Gandhi, what is your new excuse now? Will you doubt the indelible ink? Will you blame adverse weather? Or will you say the people themselves have conspired against you? Or will you form a new committee to find a new reason for defeat?" BJP attacked. 
Asking Congress to stop its narrative of conspiracy, the BJP said, "Put aside your bundle of lame excuses. Stop the saga of conspiracy. Learn to respect the people's mandate."
The party ended with a warning for 2028, calling the Council result just a trailer.
"Rahul Gandhi, this is just a trailer. In the 2028 Assembly elections too, the people of Karnataka will give a similar massive mandate to the NDA. Then whom will you blame? What drama will you stage at Jantar Mantar? What protest will you hold at Freedom Park? Start writing the script for all of this from now itself," the BJP said.
Meanwhile, KPCC President BK Hariprasad has said the party accepts the verdict with respect and will conduct a serious introspection into the organisational and political reasons behind the defeat.
"It’s also a message to Congress that ignored Siddaramaiah", said a Congress leader. 
A senior leader of Congress said that this result is also a reflection of the effects of Siddaramaiah being ignored by DK Shivakumar and team, along with the Congress high command.