Cong will win at least 141 seats, will abide by party’s decision on CM issue: DKS

Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar Saturday exuded confidence that his party would win at least 141 seats in the May 10 assembly polls and asserted that he would abide by whatever the party decides on the issue of chief ministership.

In an interview with PTI, Shivakumar said the Congress will get a comfortable majority in Karnataka and the win would open the doors for the Lok Sabha elections as the party’s victory in the state in 1978 had done. The Karnataka Congress chief lashed out at the BJP for raising issues such as the Uniform Civil Code and National Register of Citizens in its manifesto for the assembly polls, saying it shows their “bankruptcy” of ideas and vision for the state.

He also claimed that since the BJP has no agenda and vision for Karnataka, the “Modi factor” will not work in the assembly polls this time. Shivakumar, who is a leading aspirant for the chief minister’s post along with former CM Siddaramaiah in case the Congress comes to power, said all stories of infighting in the party are created by media and there is no truth in them.

On him being a strong contender for the post of chief minister, Shivakumar said his first priority was to ensure that the party wins a majority in Karnataka. “For the last three years, the Congress party has been working on the ground starting from the Vaccinate Karnataka Campaign, to the 100 Not Out Campaign followed by Mekedatu Campaign to Freedom March and registering 78 lakh members of the Congress pa ty. Then we made the Bharat Jodo Yatra a grand success in Karnataka,” he said.

Congress leaders and workers have not taken rest for a single day in the last three years, he said, adding that whatever is being seen now is the faith of people that the party’s hard work has won. “For me, the party comes first and the chief ministership comes later. On the CM issue, I will abide by whatever the party decides,” Shivakumar said.

Asked about the controversy surrounding the Congress manifesto talking about taking decisive action as per law, including imposing a ban on organizations such as PFI and Bajrang Dal, Shivakumar alleged that the BJP was trying to divide the society.

Asked about Karnataka being the gateway to the south for the BJP, Shivakumar said the people of Karnataka have “closed the gate on the BJP’s face because of non-performance, corruption and large-scale unemployment in the state”. Asked about Prime Minister Modi raising the issue of abuses hurled at him, the Congress leader said the people of Karnataka are very civilized and they do not believe in using and even responding to crude language. The Congress party too does not believe in using abusive language. It is the BJP that has mastered the art of twisting the statements and manipulating the people, he alleged.

“We will form government in Karnataka in 2023 and in the country in 2024,” he said. Voting for the 224 assembly seats in the state will take place on May 10 and the results will be out on May 13.