D Raja, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI), said that the people of Karnataka have changed the perception that Modi is unbeatable, shattering an “illusion” created by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Sangh Parivar. Addressing the media on Saturday, May 13, after the BJP’s defeat in the Karnataka Assembly election became apparent, he congratulated the people of Karnataka “for rejecting hate.” Congress’s win will have an impact on the upcoming Assembly elections in various states, as well as the 2024 general elections, Raja said.
“The people of Karnataka have not only voted against the communal divisive politics, but also voted against the BJP’s safeguarding of the interests of corporates including Adani and those who exploit the country in the name of new economic policies,” Raja said.
He also said that the voters in Karnataka have expressed through the result that the BJP must be removed from power to protect democracy and constitutional values, and to safeguard cooperative federalism. “I see this result as a boost for the people of India,” the CPI leader said.
Karnataka has rejected the politics of hatred & divide through a decisive mandate. Modi-Shah’s campaign neglected core issues and focused on polarisation. That design stands defeated.
— D. Raja (@ComradeDRaja) May 13, 2023
CPI supported the Congress on 215 seats and contributed in upholding secularism & democracy. pic.twitter.com/7jN80tYSmE
The Karnataka Assembly election was held for a total of 224 constituencies, with 36 seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and 15 seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes on May 10. The state has a total of 5,24,11,557 electors, out of which 5,23,63,948 are general electors. A total of 2,613 candidates contested the elections, out of which 2,427 were male, 185 were female, and one was a transgender person. This time, Karnataka witnessed a record voter turnout of 72.67%.
Watch: Karnataka Election Result: Local anti-incumbency reason for BJP numbers: Lehar Singh