The Congress party won the Karnataka Assembly elections with the help of a campaign against corruption, promises of aid, and consolidation of Muslim votes. The victory was also aided by anti-incumbency against the BJP government. Rahul Gandhi, a senior Congress leader, said the victory shows that the strength of the poor can overcome the power of crony capitalists. However, it is unclear if this victory will help the Congress party lead the opposition coalition during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. While opposition parties are happy about the BJP’s defeat, they have reservations about allowing Congress to lead them. Analysts note that Karnataka has a history of not voting for the same party for two consecutive terms. The Congress party’s attack on the BJP government’s corruption allegations also helped them win.
Priyanka Gandhi, a party general secretary, praised the Congress party’s performance in the Karnataka assembly polls and thanked the people of Karnataka for giving them a historic mandate. She called it a victory for politics that unites the country and said the Congress party will work hard to implement the guarantees they made to the people of Karnataka. These guarantees include 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to woman heads of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), 10-kg of rice free to every member of BPL households (Anna Bhagya), Rs 3,000 every month for unemployed graduate youths and Rs 1,500 for unemployed diploma holders (both in the age group of 18-25), and free travel for women in public transport buses (Shakti).
A Congress worker celebrated the party’s win in Kolkata with a portrait of Rahul Gandhi in the background.
