NEW DELHI: By all accounts, the defeat in Karnataka was demoralising for the saffron camp, which the silence at the BJP headquarters at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg conveyed eloquently.The headquarters that echoed with laughter and light-hearted political banter till Friday wore a deserted look today as most party office-bearers refused to speak to the media over the Karnataka polls.
A senior functionary on the condition of anonymity remarked: “Ye Karnataka ka election ka result khatarnak hai (the result is frightening). It has come at a time when we are working to come to power in Rajasthan and Telangana. We should improve our accessibility with the people as well as the party’s ground-level workers on social media.”
Echoing the opinion, a party worker from West Bengal, sitting in the media-waiting enclosure, told this newspaper: “I am here for a couple of days for meeting senior party leaders. But, they are extremely inaccessible. It must be known to our PM Modi ji that 95% of ministers and 98% of the party’s senior functionaries are extremely inaccessible to common people. In such a situation, results like that in Karnataka are inevitable.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was graceful in the face of the party’s stunning defeat: “I thank all those who have supported us in the Karnataka polls. I appreciate the hard work of BJP karyakartas,”he tweeted. “We shall serve Karnataka with even more vigour in the times to come. Congratulations to the Congress party for their victory in the polls. My best wishes to them,” said the PM.
Party sources said factors such as the lack of accessibility, anti-incumbency, excluding many experienced sitting MLAs at the eleventh hour, delayed nomination of candidates, incompetence of MLAs who were inactive during the Covid pandemic and the lack of communication between party’s state leaders and the marginalized sections worked against us in the Karnataka polls.
Another BJP section working at party offices felt that the party’s agenda on Uniform Civil Code, NRC and other promises made through the manifesto did not go well with the voters.“The time has come to do more and speak less”, said Sudhir Kumar, a BJP worker.
Trying to conceal despondency, a senior party worker, sporting a ‘tilak’ quipped: “We are Ram bhakat but this time pram-rambhakat Hanuman ji did not help us. Ham se kya bhul huyee, ab Bajrangbali he jane (what mistake we made only the supreme devotee of Lord Ram Bajrangbali knows).”
BJP on backfoot in Maha also: Pawar
NCP chief Sharad Pawar said the people of Karnataka have rejected the hatred and communal politics of the BJP. He said that top leaders of the BJP used religion in election campaigns to get the votes.
“BJP toppled Congress and JD (S) government in Karnataka like in Maharashtra. People did not like it therefore they voted against the BJP,” Pawar said. BJP misused the central agencies against their opponents, he added.
“People of Karnataka rejected the corruption-led government. We MVA also need to come together and fight against the BJP. The situation in Maharashtra is also against the BJP. We will soon have a meeting with alliance partners and discuss the strategy,” Sharad Pawar said. Uddhav Thackeray said after Karnataka, BJP will be kicked out of Maharashtra as well
Didi hails verdict, leaves Cong out
West Bengal CM and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee termed the Karnataka Assembly election results as people’s verdict in favour of vote-to-no BJP and unity in diversity. She, however, did not mention the name of Congress.
“Elections in Chhattisgarh and MP are also coming and in both the states, the BJP will face defeat there. Beginning of the end of the BJP before the 2024 LS elections have already begun,” said Mamata. Though she appreciated HD Kumaraswamy for JDS performance, she did not drop names of Congress and Rahul Gandhi while congratulating the candidates who secured victory against the BJP.
“Kumaraswamy also has done well in the elections. I congratulate all the wining candidates,” she said.
Win shatters illusion created by BJP: Raja
CPI General Secretary D Raja said the people of Karnataka have changed the perception that Modi is unbeatable and shatter the “illusion” created by BJP and Sangh. Congress’s win will have an impact on the upcoming Assembly elections in various states, as well as the 2024 LS polls, Raja said.
“Karnataka has rejected the politics of hatred & divide through a decisive mandate. Modi-Shah’s campaign neglected core issues and focused on polarization. That design stands defeated. CPI supported the Congress on 215 seats and contributed to upholding secularism & democracy. The illusion of Modi’s invincibility is shattered. We congratulate the people of Karnataka for rejecting hate and expect pro-people, harmonious rule from INC,” Raja tweeted.
A defeat for Modi, says grand-alliance
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar led the state’s Mahaghatbandhan in congratulating Congress for unseating BJP from power in Karnataka. “Hearty congratulations and best wishes to the Indian National Congress party for the victory and clear majority in the Karnataka Assembly General Elections,” Nitish tweeted after Congress swept the polls. JD (U) and RJD also took a dig at BJP, saying that the assembly election result was a pointer to the 2024 Lok Sabha election’s outcome.
JD (U) national president and MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh aka Lalan Singh said, “Karnataka assembly election’s outcome is a big message for the 2024 parliamentary election. Modi magic is on the wane as it fails to work in the state,” he commented.