“Have to accept people’s mandate in a democracy”: Anurag Thakur on Karnataka loss

In response to the Congress’ victory in the Karnataka Assembly elections, Union Minister Anurah Thakur said on Saturday that in a democracy, one must accept the verdict of the people, and the BJP has accepted the mandate of the people in the southern state.

Speaking to ANI after the trends in Karnataka pointed to a resounding Congress win, the BJP leader said, “We tried our best to make a double-engine government in Karnataka. We worked very hard. Our government did a lot of work in Karnataka. The state received the largest foreign direct investment. Development skyrocketed under our governance in the state. But in a democracy, you have to accept every decision of the people.”

“We humbly accept the people’s mandate in Karnataka. We will identify our mistakes and work to rectify them,” the Union minister added.

On Saturday, the Congress party won an absolute majority in Karnataka, passing the halfway point of 113 seats in the 224-member Assembly.

According to the latest EC counting trends, the Congress has won 135 seats and is leading in one, while the BJP has won 65 seats and is leading in one. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier congratulated the Congress on its victory in Karnataka.

“Congratulations to the Congress Party for their victory in the Karnataka Assembly polls. My best wishes to them in fulfilling people’s aspirations,” tweeted PM Modi.

With the defeat in Karnataka on Saturday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost its sole southern state. Karnataka elections were held on May 10 with a voting percentage of 73.29 percent.