BENGALURU: Admitting that the Congress’ defeat in the Legislative Council elections was a result of its own shortcomings, Municipal Administration Minister HC Balakrishna on Saturday said all ministers should take responsibility for the party’s loss, particularly the defeat of its candidate Puttanna in the Bengaluru Teachers’ Constituency.
“The defeat of our candidate Puttanna was a self-inflicted wound. We failed to work, assuming that the organisation would take care of everything. All ministers should bear responsibility for the defeat,” he told reporters in Magadi.
He said the party had failed to make the necessary efforts despite having the potential to win all four seats.
“We remained silent, thinking that the candidate would manage things himself. That is why we lost. Had we made up our minds and worked together, we could have won all four seats. We should learn from this defeat and energise party workers,” he said.
Reacting to the Opposition’s claim that the Congress’s defeat in all four Council constituencies was a setback ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections, Balakrishna said the Opposition should have made such predictions before the polls.