After Karnataka win, Congress aims to stop BJP from repeating 2019

Bengaluru: The Congress government in Karnataka led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is treading cautiously while setting its eyes clear on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

The grand old party could manage to win only one out of 28 seats in the 2019 Parliamentary elections in the state and is now targeting to win at least 20 seats.

By trouncing the BJP in the Assembly elections, Congress has shut the door to South India for the ambitious saffron party.

A close confidante of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Cabinet Minister Dr Sharanprakash Patil explained that the party would put an all-out effort to wrestle all the seats in the state. “The feelings of people have changed. Congress will win at least 25 seats this time,” he maintained.

Congress sources explain that a maximum of nine cabinet berths are given to the Dalit community, followed by Lingayats (seven) and five to Vokkaligas. Besides this, seven ministers of OBC and ST communities have taken the oath. The party has allotted two cabinet posts to Muslims, and one each to Christian, Jain and Brahmin communities.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has maintained that a full-fledged government was formed within 15 days after the election results came out in the state. “People have voted for us to power to provide stable and clean governance, and we will live up to people’s aspirations. As a first step to fulfil this promise, a full-fledged cabinet has been formed without many differences,” he asserted.

Targeting BJP, Siddaramaiah has said, people were disgusted with the struggles of a ‘one-man government’ and people had witnessed the helplessness of a Chief Minister making trips to Delhi for cabinet expansion. They had seen the futile meetings with the high command, with no results; and today they are witnessing a bold, full-fledged and stable government.