"Now, South India is BJP mukt": Bhupesh Baghel after Karnataka result

As the trends converted into victory, Congress started preparations to form the government by calling its MLAs to Bengaluru. And the outgoing CM of Karnataka, Basavaraj Somappa Bommai conceded defeat before the media, saying despite PM Modi’s best efforts, BJP lost.

It is evident that with more than 43 percent of vote share and lead in 132 seats (till the time of publishing this news), Congress has dashed BJP’s hope of returning to power in the southern state.

Congress leaders took no time to take a jibe at PM Modi after the results. It was Modi has converted the Karnataka election into a prestige battle. It was the PM who dreamed of a ‘Congress mukt Bharat’.  

Without naming PM, Bahhel said, “People used to talk about Congress-mukt Bharat. Now, South India is BJP mukt”.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said Karnataka has chosen the politics of development over communal politics, reacting to the assembly election result trends that showed the Congress marching towards victory.

The Congress was striding forward with leads in 117 seats while the BJP was ahead in 75 in Karnataka, according to Election Commission of India trends, as votes were counted for an election widely seen as a litmus test for both parties ahead of the 2024 parliamentary polls.

"This will be repeated in the upcoming assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana as well," Gehlot said in a tweet in Hindi.

Assembly elections in all the four states are due later this year.

Gehlot said the atmosphere that was visible in Karnataka during Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' is clearly noticeable in the election results.

"Under the leadership of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, Congress leaders ran a great campaign," the Rajasthan chief minister added.

With the trends pointing to a likely victory for the Congress, party workers in Rajasthan burst out in celebration in front of Pradesh Congress Committee office in Jaipur.

The Congress workers said the party's performance in Karnataka will have a positive impact in Rajasthan.

"The party is going to win with a strong mandate in Karnataka. In Rajasthan, the atmosphere is already in favour of the party due to the state government's schemes and we are very hopeful that the party will retain power in the state in the assembly elections," a party worker told reporters.