Karnataka elections: Siddaramaiah floats 'Rahul Gandhi for PM' pitch as Congress looks set to wrest state from BJP

Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Saturday said the party's win in the state election was a mandate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, and was a curtain-raiser for the 2024 general elections. He hoped that Rahul Gandhi becomes the Prime Minister of the country in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections

“It is a mandate against Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and JP Nadda. They have a lot of money for Operation Kamala, but they could not buy the people's trust. There was a threat from BJP for the secular fabric of the state. There was hate politics, which the people of Karnataka were not tolerating," Siddaramaiah said at a news conference after Congress took a comfortable lead in the assembly polls.

He added that the Karnataka polls are a stepping stone to the Lok Sabha polls. “I hope all non-BJP parties come together and see that BJP is defeated and I also hope Rahul Gandhi becomes the PM of the country," Siddaramaiah said.

“No relevance of Modi in Karnataka. Even if Shah and Modi come, it will make no difference. This is a warning sign for the BJP and Narendra Modi. People of India will vote against the BJP in 2024,” he added.

Siddaramaiah, who is coasting towards a massive victory in the Varuna constituency with a big margin, is one of the contenders to the CM’s post, if Congress wins and forms the government on its own.  

Another CM contender is Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar. According to news reports, former CM Siddaramaiah seems to be ahead in the numbers game compared to Shivakumar or any other leader. Even in terms of popularity, Siddaramaiah is way ahead of any leader at present.

According to India Today-Axis My India exit polls, a large section of society thinks Congress’s Siddaramaiah government was the best among the past four governments. In fact, 27 per cent of people want Siddaramaiah to be the next CM as against 15 per cent each for Basavaraj Bommai and HD Kumaraswamy.

Shivakumar, on the other hand, is said to be closer to the party higher-ups and has been instrumental in rebuilding the party in the state.

Also read: DK Shivakumar or Siddaramaiah? Who will be Karnataka's new CM if Congress wins? 

Also read: Karnataka Election Result 2023 LIVE: Poor people defeated crony capitalists, says Rahul Gandhi on Congress' massive win

Also read: Kanakapura Election Results 2023: D K Shivakumar inches towards victory, secures 74% votes