'Not PM Modi's Defeat,' Bommai Says Amid Congress Jibes, Reveals Karnataka BJP President ‘Won't Step Down’

Basavaraj Bommai said that the Karnataka BJP president Nalin Kateel will not step down following the party's defeat in the Assembly elections. He also said that this is not PM Modi’s defeat.  

Basavaraj Bommai said that the Karnataka BJP president Nalin Kateel will not step down following the defeat in the Assembly elections. He also said that this is not PM Modi’s defeat.  

Source : PTI

A day after the Bharatiya Janata Party conceded defeat in the Karnataka Assembly elections at the hands of Congress, outgoing state CM Basavaraj Bommai said that state party president Nalin Kateel will not step down. He also said that this is not Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s defeat as he is a national leader.  

“The state president Nalin Kateel will not step down. Today, some MLAs were present at the state BJP office. We accepted our defeat humbly. This is not PM Modi's defeat, he is a national leader. The Congress leadership has lost in the entire country,” Basavaraj Bommai said as quoted by the news agency ANI.

Bommai's remarks came after Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday launched a fresh attack on PM Modi and said that the grand old party has won in Karnataka and PM Modi has lost.

Further speaking about the defeat in the elections, Bommai said that the party will have an in-depth analysis and course correction will be done to return to power in the Lok Sabha elections. “We had an informal meeting with our president and we have discussed certain issues and we'll shortly call elected representatives and the people who contested. We will have an in-depth analysis and do the course correction to come back to power in the Lok Sabha elections, Bommai said.

The state president Nalin Kateel will not step down. Today, some MLAs were present at the state BJP office. We accepted our defeat humbly. This is not PM Modi's defeat, he is a national leader. The Congress leadership has lost in the entire country: Outgoing Karnataka CM… pic.twitter.com/ZkBpJHUVKP

— ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2023

Congress won an absolute majority in Karnataka on Saturday with the party crossing the halfway mark of 113 seats in the 224-member assembly. Congress has won 135 seats and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won 66 seats. Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) has won 19 seats. Independents have won two seats while Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha and Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha have won one seat each.

Basavraj Bommai on Saturday tendered his resignation to the governor which he accepted. He took the responsibility for BJP's defeat in the election in the southern state.

Talking to reporters, Bommai said, "I'm taking responsibility for the defeat. There are many reasons for the defeat, we will analyse everything as we are a national party. We will also analyse all our faults and we will bounce back in the Parliament elections: Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai." 

After Bommai took responsibility for saffron party's defeat in Karnataka election, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel said that the entire election was fought on the face of PM Modi and now Bommai is taking the responsibility. He said that the responsibility should be given to PM Modi.  

#WATCH | The entire Karnataka election was fought on the face of PM Modi and now he (Basavaraj Bommai) is taking responsibility for defeat which should be given to PM Modi: Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel pic.twitter.com/qzZ5PQKXtr

— ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2023

"The entire Karnataka election was fought on the face of PM Modi and now he (Basavaraj Bommai) is taking responsibility for defeat which should be given to PM Modi," Bhupesh Baghel said as quoted by ANI.