Congress Will Win At Least 141 Seats, BJP Will Get Less Than 60: K’taka Congress Chief DK Shivakumar

Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar said that his party would win at least 141 seats in the upcoming state elections.

Karnataka Assembly Elections: Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar on Saturday expressed confidence that his party would win at least 141 seats in the upcoming state elections scheduled to take place on May 10. In an interview with PTI, Shivakumar said the Congress will get a comfortable majority in Karnataka and the win would open the doors for the Lok Sabha elections as the party's 1978 victory in the state had done. On the matter of the Chief Minister candidate, he said that the party will take a decision on it.

Congress CM Face 

Shivakumar, who is a leading aspirant for the chief minister's post along with former CM Siddarammaiah, said all stories of infighting in the party are created by media and there is no truth in them, stated PTI in its report. 

"The fact is that the Congress leadership is united and the party workers are very active in spreading our message both on the ground and in social media. We are putting a combined effort to ensure that the Congress comes back to power with a clear majority," he asserted, as quoted by PTI. 

On his possible candidature for the CM post, Shivakumar said his first priority was to ensure that the party wins a majority in Karnataka. 

"For the last three years, the Congress party has been working on the ground starting from the Vaccinate Karnataka Campaign, to the 100 Not Out Campaign followed by Mekedatu Campaign to Freedom March and registering 78 lakh members of the Congress party. Then we made the Bharat Jodo Yatra a grand success in Karnataka," he said. 

He further said that Congress leaders and workers have not taken rest for a single day in the last three years, and whatever is being seen now is the faith of people that the party's hard work has won. 

"For me, the party comes first and the chief ministership comes later. On the CM issue, I will abide by whatever the party decides," Shivakumar said. 

Will Congress Win Polls?

Exuding confidence that the Congress would cross the 140-seat mark, Shivakumar said, "We will win at least 141 seats and form government with a comfortable majority. The BJP will be reduced to less than 60 (seats)." He added that Karnataka was just the beginning. 

"We are comfortably winning Karnataka elections and it will open the doors for the Lok Sabha elections. Karnataka people will give a message to the country. Earlier also at the time of Devraj Urs (former chief minister), when the Janata Party was in power at the national level in 1978, Karnataka had opened the door for Congress. Now again, Karnataka will play its role," Shivakumar said. 

"We will form a government in Karnataka in 2023 and in the country in 2024," said Shivakumar, who is contesting from Kanakapura. Shivakumar has been elected thrice from Kanakapura since 2008 and is now seeking reelection for the fourth time from there, reported PTI. 

BJP Trying To Divide Society: Shivakumar On Poll Manifesto Row 

Reacting to the controversy over the Congress manifesto talking about taking decisive action as per law, including imposing a ban on organizations such as PFI and Bajrang Dal, Shivakumar alleged that the BJP was trying to divide the society. 

"The BJP government could not provide jobs to our youth. They failed to provide any relief to the common man when it came to inflation and price rise. Now they are trying to divide the society by inflammatory speeches," he alleged. 

He added that this will not work in Karnataka and people will sweep them aside. 

When asked if Karnataka is the gateway to the south for the BJP, he said the people of Karnataka have "closed the gate on the BJP's face because of non-performance, corruption and large-scale unemployment in the state". 

People are supporting Congress in a big way and the party is coming back to power, he claimed. 

Congress On BJP’s Uniform Civil Code Promise 

Shivakumar said that BJP does not understand Karnataka and its people as the election is being fought on ground issues. His response came on the question of BJP’s promises in the election manifesto to implement the Uniform Civil Code and the National Register of Citizens in the state if it retains power. 

"Karnataka Assembly elections are being fought on local issues. The BJP, which could not deliver on any front during its governance, has also failed to give a narrative in these elections. This shows their bankruptcy of ideas and vision for the state," he said, as quoted by PTI. 

PM Modi’s Allegation Of Congress Abusing Him 

Asked about Prime Minister Modi raising the issue of abuses hurled at him, the Congress leader said the people of Karnataka are very civilized and they do not believe in using and even responding to crude language. 

Shivakumar said that Congress too does not believe in using abusive language. “It is the BJP that has mastered the art of twisting the statements and manipulating the people,” he alleged. 

Will 'Modi Factor' Work This Time? 

While speaking to PTI, Shivakumar said the Congress is fighting these elections on a progressive and development-based agenda and that there’s no ‘Modi-factor’ in play in the state. 

"We will provide Rs 2,000 per month to every woman head of the family, 200 units of free power to every household apart from free bus travel for women in KSRTC/BMTC buses and a monthly allowance of Rs 3,000 to unemployed graduates,” he said 

"As I said, the BJP has no agenda and vision for the state and people can very well see this. So the Modi factor will not work this time in these assembly polls," he added. 

Voting for the 224 assembly seats in Karnataka will take place on May 10 and the results will be out on May 13.