In the lead-up to the Lok Sabha elections, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made a bold prediction, suggesting that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) might not secure an absolute majority. He expressed confidence in the opposition alliance and other parties opposed to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claiming they were likely to secure a majority.
Siddaramaiah stated, “According to me, the NDA will not get a full absolute majority this time. INDIA (the opposition alliance) and other parties that are against the BJP are getting the majority.” He added, “The INDI alliance will win. The INDIA alliance and other parties that are opposing the BJP will form the government. Yes, they (Naveen Patnaik and Mamata Banerjee) are also opposing the BJP.”
Responding to the BJP’s goal of crossing the 400-seat mark in the Lok Sabha polls, Siddaramaiah dismissed it as a strategy to divert people’s attention, stating, “It’s only a strategy because they couldn’t get a simple majority in parliament. This is all being said to divert the minds of the people.”
Switching focus, Siddaramaiah commended the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Karnataka police for the arrest of two prime suspects in the Bengaluru cafe blast case. He said, “I thank the NIA and also the Karnataka police. They arrested the accused in Kolkata and now they have been brought to Bengaluru. Let the investigation be complete.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to hold a roadshow in Mangaluru, South Karnataka, on Sunday, April 14. The BJP, despite the Congress holding power in Karnataka, aims to win all Lok Sabha seats in the state.
Karnataka is set to hold elections in two phases on April 26 and May 7 for its 28 constituencies, including five seats reserved for SC candidates and two for ST candidates. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 25 seats with a 51.7% vote share, while the Congress secured 1 seat with a 32.1% vote share, and JD(S) and Independent candidates won one seat each in Karnataka.
The general election for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be conducted in seven phases starting April 19, with counting scheduled for June 4.