The Karnataka Assembly poll victory has given the much needed boost to the Congress which has been facing a tough time recently both inside Parliament and outside with Opposition battering it on coalgate status report vetting, JPC report on 2G spectrum scam and cash-for job-scam involving Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal’s nephew.
Now, the party has a tough task ahead to choose the Chief Minister with many claimants being in the field. Strong contenders are ClP leader K Siddaramaiah, labour Minister Mallikarjun Karge. Though Petroleum Minister M Veerappa Moily is also in the fray, the party may need him at the Centre, Congress sources said.
PCC president G Parameshwara being defeated in the polls is out of the fray. The Congress will soon send central observers who after consulting the elected MlAs will take a final decision, they added.
Meanwhile, an elated Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi hailed the victory saying it was a rejection of BJP’s ideology and suggested that it would be repeated in the lok Sabha elections also.
“It is a clear result against the ideology of the BJP which has been ruling in the State of Karnataka,” the Prime Minister said and praised the efforts of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, saying he took a “leading role” in the campaigning for the polls.
“I am very happy with the
victory in Karnataka. It was a
joint effort,” Sonia said.
But enthused by the victory, Finance Minister P Chidambaram turned into a ‘TV reporter’ and questioned BJP leader Jaswant Singh. While being questioned about the poll results, Chidambaram took mike from a TV reporter and put in front of Singh who was emerging from Parliament. “Don’t you credit Congress with victoryIJ” he asked.
Chidambaram said that poll result is a message to all political parties. The people watch very closely. Whoever forms the Government must deliver. “If you stop governance, people will vote you out.” He ruled out the possibility of early lok Sabha election in view of victory in Karnataka Assembly polls.
“There is a lot of work to be done, a lot of unfinished work between now and 2014,” he said, adding the Government has to take several executive and legislative actions in many fronts including economic reforms agenda and key bills.
Hailing the verdict, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh said it is a victory of “inclusive ideology”, and “defeat of communalism”. He said that it was not a fight of Narendra Modi versus Rahul Gandhi.
Echoing similar views, Congress media in-charge Janardhan Dwivedi said, “This is the victory of Congress’ policy, respect for the Congress party, an indication for the future and
support for the present.”