As his party celebrated its victory in the Karnataka assembly elections, D K Shivakumar, the state Congress president, could not hold back his tears. He thanked the party workers and leaders for their hard work and dedication. Remembering the difficult days when he spent in jail in 2019, Shivakumar said, "I can't forget Sonia Gandhi visiting me in jail...when BJP people put me in jail." Shivakumar said he was grateful to Sonia Gandhi for visiting him in jail and showing her support. The Congress not only secured an authoritative majority in the state with over 130 seats in its kitty, but it also pushed back BJP restricting it to just around 65 seats.
Shivakumar recalled his time in jail in the year 2019 for over 50 days in ED custody in connection with an alleged money laundering case. He said he had fulfilled his promise to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge to bring the state back to the Congress fold. He said he owed his success to the collective leadership and teamwork of the party.
Speaking to reporters, the Karnataka Congress Pradesh Committee (KPCC) chief also thanked Siddaramaiah and all the MLAs in the state for their cooperation. He said the people of Karnataka had trusted the Congress and given it a clear mandate. He was leading by a huge margin of over 64000 votes in his own constituency of Kanakpura.
Shivakumar said he would address the media and party workers again later at Bharat Jodo Bhavan. The counting of votes began at 8 am amid tight security across the State. The exit polls predicted a hung assembly with some showing Congress returning to power with a majority. A few exit polls also showed BJP ahead.
Also Read: Congress Wins Karnataka: What Is Next On Cards For Bajrang Dal?
The fiercely contested election that saw high-pitch campaigns from the political parties. The polling for the seats were held on May 10 with a voting percentage of 72. 68 per cent in voting for 224 seats. A party needs 113 seats to get majority.
