Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 19 : The Congress on Friday registered a comprehensive victory in the Karnataka Legislative Council elections, winning all five seats it contested, with senior party leaders asserting that the results reflected widespread support for the state government's policies and welfare guarantees.
Speaking after the results were announced, Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said the party had not anticipated a contest and credited the victory to the unity of the Congress leadership and legislators.
"Today, the election was not expected. I thought that there would be no elections. But the JDS and BJP wanted to fight the elections. The Congress party and the leadership of Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi finalised the candidates, who have been working in the party throughout the country," Shivakumar said.
He further said that the mandate extended beyond the Congress party's own strength in the Assembly.
"Today, a very big mandate has been given among the legislators. Many of my different political parties, cutting across party lines, have voted in favour of the government. They have agreed on the policies. I thank all the legislators who have helped us, who have voted for us," he said.
"We stood unitedly, and these are the results of the unity of the Congress party in the country," Shivakumar added.
Congress General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala termed the outcome a "landslide victory" and claimed that the party received support beyond its existing legislative strength.
"In the first round of the Legislative Council elections, all five Congress candidates won with a landslide victory. Congress had 135 votes, but it won 151, the BJP lost 7 votes, falling short of 64, and the Janata Dal won 14 votes instead of 18," Surjewala said.
He described the outcome as an endorsement of the Congress government's welfare measures, particularly its five guarantees.
"After introspection and reflection, the way the MLAs of Karnataka voted for the Congress Party was with an overwhelming majority, an absolute majority. This vote is a vote for positive politics," he said.
Surjewala alleged that the BJP and JD(S) opposed the Congress government's welfare initiatives.
"On one side is the negative politics of the BJP and the negative politics of the Janata Dal, which wanted to abolish the Congress's five guarantees. Today, their own MLAs expressed no confidence in the BJP and Janata Dal leadership, stating that the Congress's five guarantees, through which Rs 56,000 crore are being transferred annually to the accounts of the poor, ordinary women, and the needy, are the correct policy," he said.
"The BJP and the Janata Dal want to end these guarantees. This path of progress and development is the right path, a positive vote, and therefore, thanks to all the MLAs who voted in favour of Karnataka," Surjewala added.