Bengaluru, May 4 (IANS) Following the announcement of results of bypolls in the state and the Assembly elections in five states, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday thanked voters for ensuring the victory of Congress candidates in the by-elections in Bagalkot and Davanagere, stating that the mandate reflects both the achievements of his government and the enduring strength of the party’s ideology.

In a statement reacting to the election results, he said that despite misinformation campaigns and the influence of money power, voters in both constituencies in Karnataka reaffirmed their trust in the Congress and its governance. He added that the party remains committed to honouring this trust and is confident of continued public support in the upcoming Assembly elections.

Commenting on the results in other states, Siddaramaiah congratulated voters in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, saying they had delivered a clear verdict against what he described as divisive politics. He said the Congress victory in Kerala was expected, attributing it to cohesive leadership, strong candidate selection and an effective campaign. He also acknowledged the role of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the party’s performance.

He said the Congress Legislature Party in Kerala would soon elect its next Chief Minister and expressed confidence that the state would witness governance setting a national benchmark. He added that the victory would further strengthen the Congress in Karnataka.

On West Bengal, the Chief Minister said there was strong anti-incumbency sentiment against the ruling government and alleged that irregularities in voter list revisions, along with the misuse of administrative machinery, money and muscle power, had influenced the outcome. He claimed that the omission of a large number of voters during the revision process had impacted the results.

He also raised concerns over the BJP’s victory in West Bengal, stating that it reflects challenges to democratic values and alleging that reliance on religious polarisation undermines the democratic system. He expressed hope that voters in the state would reassess the mandate in the next Lok Sabha elections.

Referring to Tamil Nadu, Siddaramaiah described the scale of the result as unexpected.

He said that despite anti-incumbency, the DMK government’s welfare programmes had earned public appreciation.

He noted that sections of youth and women appeared to have been influenced by the appeal of actor Vijay, and termed the DMK’s defeat a setback to the Dravidian political tradition. He expressed confidence that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin would recover from the setback and also congratulated Vijay on his victory.

--IANS

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