Karnataka results will be a stepping stone for Congress victory in 2024 LS elections: Siddaramaiah

Congress stalwart Siddaramaiah on Saturday said the outcome of Karnataka Assembly elections will be a stepping stone for the party’s victory in 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

He also hoped that former Congress president Rahul Gandhi would become the Prime Minister.

According to the former Chief Minister, the Karnataka election result is a "mandate" against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

"I think this election is a crucial election. This result of this election is the stepping stone for the party in the Lok Sabha election in 2024," the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly said.

"I also hope that Rahul Gandhi may become the Prime Minister of this country," he added.

Siddaramaiah who won the election from Varuna constituency defeating incumbent BJP minister V Somanna, said he now expected the non-BJP parties to come together at the national level.

"I hope all non-BJP parties come together so that the BJP is defeated," Siddaramaiah said.

Asked whether the election result was a a mandate against Modi and Shah who campaigned aggressively in the state, he said, "Definitely. 100 per cent. It is a mandate against Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, BJP president J P Nadda".

Siddaramaiah said Modi had come to Karnataka and addressed 20 rallies, which no Prime Minister had done in the past.

Hailing the people of Karnataka, he said the voters rejected the "communal politics" of the BJP, which was "threatening the secular fabric" of the state.

"The people of Karnataka are very politically matured. They know which party would save the state because there was a threat by the BJP to the secular fabric of the state," Siddaramaiah said.

According to him, there was "hate and communal politics going on" in the state, which the people of Karnataka did not tolerate.

"The BJP tried to win this election by money power. They could not succeed with money power," Siddaramaiah claimed.

He said the people of Karnataka wanted a change in the state because they were fed up with the BJP government and there was a strong anti-incumbency.