RSS cadre helped BJP do well in Karnataka, says Ram Madhav
The BJP general secretary thanked the people of Karnataka for delivering a “decisive mandate” in favour of BJP, and expressed his gratitude to PM Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah.
BJP general secretary Ram Madhav on Tuesday said the tireless work of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh cadre helped the party register an impressive showing in the Karnataka assembly elections.
“I would give credit to Karnataka’s leadership and cadres, everybody from Yeddyurappa to party cadres. Sangh Parivaar cadres have helped us enormously. An analysis of certain regions shows that we completely swept coastal Karnataka,” he told ANI.
Madhav also thanked the people of Karnataka for delivering a “decisive mandate” in favour of the BJP. “The Prime Minister’s hard work has paid off. Everyone knows that Amit Shah is a master craftsman when it comes to election strategy, and he has burnt a lot of midnight oil in Karnataka,” he said.
The BJP leader also mocked the Congress, stating that it was set to lose yet another state to the saffron party. “Let Rahul Gandhi and the Congress do some serious introspection, but unfortunately they never do that,” he remarked.
IANS had earlier quoted defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman as saying that the people of Karnataka have rejected the “divisive, toxic and very negative” politics of Congress to vote for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s development thrust.
The BJP is viewing the Karnataka elections as a gateway into the south, and will have governments in 22 states if it manages to win this election. The Congress has been defeated by the BJP in over a dozen states since the 2014 general elections, drastically diminishing its political presence in the country.
As many as 2,654 candidates, including 216 women candidates, were in the fray for the assembly elections this year. While the BJP fielded 223 candidates, the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) propped 222 and 201 candidates respectively.
Counting of votes began at 8 am for 222 out of 224 assembly constituencies in 58,546 polling stations across the state. Any party or alliance would need 112 seats to stake claim to the government.
(With agency inputs)
