Tripura: Manik Sarkar claims 64 per cent of Karnataka voters cast their ballots against BJP

Former Chief Minister and member of the CPIM Polit Bureau, Manik Sarkar, has claimed that around 64 per cent of voters cast their ballots against the BJP, making a decisive decision to oust the party from Karnataka. Speaking with reporters, Sarkar said the result of the Karnataka election is not only disastrous for the BJP but also for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Sarkar said, "This result is not only a disaster for the BJP but also for Prime Minister Narendra Modi because BJP had used and implemented many plans, using the face of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to sustain the government in Karnataka. The Prime Minister participated in around 30 programs, including the poll campaign, and in his speeches, he said that giving a vote to BJP means giving votes to Narendra Modi."

Sarkar further claimed that when the physical campaign ended, the BJP was also seen distributing leaflets appealing to people to vote for BJP. "During his campaign, Prime Minister Modi tried communal polarization, used money power in different ways, and also tried to control a major portion of the media. After all such things, 64% of voters have cast their votes against the BJP, and people have taken a decisive decision," Sarkar told reporters.

The election results showed the BJP securing 89 seats in the 224-member Karnataka Assembly, falling short of a majority. The Indian National Congress (INC) won 78 seats, while the Janata Dal (Secular) secured 37 seats. The INC and the JD(S) joined hands to form a coalition government, with HD Kumaraswamy as the Chief Minister.

The BJP has accused the Congress of playing dirty politics and accused it of resorting to horse-trading to form the government. BJP's BS Yeddyurappa, who was sworn in as the Chief Minister but resigned two days later, claimed that the Congress offered JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy the Chief Minister's post if he broke the JD(S)'s alliance with the BJP.

Meanwhile, commenting on the interlocutor issue, Sarkar said, "Pradyot fell in a trap, and he should think about how he has to get himself out of the trap. It doesn't look good that the state government and Chief Minister are not aware of the interlocutor. However, a third person is announcing it. I have seen in the newspaper that a gentleman will come, and the government also issued a notice, but all of a sudden, it has no update."