CPIM Politburo member and former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has called the BJP’s defeat in the Karnataka assembly elections a significant loss for the party and a major setback for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was the party’s main face for the polls. In a press conference held on Sunday, Sarkar stated that despite the BJP’s efforts to make Modi the central figure of their campaign, the people of Karnataka have rejected them.
Sarkar further pointed out Prime Minister Modi’s recent Karnataka poll slogan – ‘Voting for BJP means voting for Modi’, stating that the Prime Minister himself sought votes in his name and tried to convince voters with his controversial slogans, but the people of Karnataka rejected his divide and rule politics. He added that the declining popularity of Modi is reflected in the Karnataka election results as over 64% of voters cast their votes against the BJP in the election.
Sarkar advised the Congress to unite with other anti-BJP opposition parties and fight together to avoid the diversion of opposition votes. He also commented on the recently concluded elections in various states, stating that they indicate that the people of the country do not want the current government to continue.
The BJP had hoped to win the Karnataka elections by projecting Prime Minister Modi as their main face, but the party was defeated by the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) alliance, which won a majority in the assembly elections. The BJP managed to win only 104 seats, falling short of the 112-seat majority mark. The Congress and JD(S) alliance won 118 seats and formed the government with HD Kumaraswamy as the Chief Minister.
