DK Shivakumar, the Karnataka Congress chief, has expressed dissatisfaction with the party’s performance in the recent assembly elections, where they won 135 seats. During a meeting with party workers in Bengaluru, Shivakumar stated that Congress should aim for better results in the upcoming general elections next year.
Shivakumar confessed to the party cadres, “Let me confess to all of you something. I am not happy with the 135 seats we achieved in the assembly polls.” He emphasized the need for Congress to focus on the upcoming general elections and perform well in every poll. He urged party members not to become complacent with just one victory and called for hard work and dedication.
As Karnataka has 28 Lok Sabha seats, making it one of the key battleground states, the Congress aims to improve its performance in the 2019 elections when it won only one seat, Bangalore Rural, while the BJP secured 25 seats and the Janata Dal-Secular won one seat in Hassan. This time, the Congress is hoping for a better showing, banking on the support of the Lingayat and AHINDA votes.
The AHINDA platform, a social combination of minorities, Other Backward Classes, and Dalits, has traditionally voted overwhelmingly for Congress. Additionally, the Lingayats, who have traditionally been BJP supporters, turned against the party after their prominent leader, BS Yeddyurappa, was removed from the top post.
While the BJP secured only 65 seats in the assembly elections, it managed to maintain its voting percentage at 36%. Basavaraj Bommai, the former Chief Minister of Karnataka, has already indicated that the party will analyze the reasons for their defeat and strategize ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha election in the following year.
With Shivakumar expressing his discontent with the party’s performance and emphasizing the need for improvement, the Karnataka Congress is gearing up for the general elections, aiming to secure a stronger mandate and better results. The upcoming elections will be crucial for the party, and they are determined to work hard and achieve success in every poll going forward.
