'Public Will Tell Us': Priyanka Gandhi On Calls For Rahul As PM After Karnataka Win

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh): Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday said that the public would decide the future course after calls grew within the party for Rahul Gandhi to be the prime ministerial candidate following the resounding victory of the party in Karnataka Assembly polls.

Describing the results of the Karnataka Assembly polls as a mandate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Siddaramaiah said that it would act as a "stepping stone" to the Lok Sabha election slated next year.

"The result of this election is a stepping stone to the Lok Sabha election. I hope all non-BJP parties come together and see that BJP is defeated and I also hope Rahul Gandhi may become PM of the country," Siddaramaiah said.

The Congress on Saturday won 135 of 224 seats in the Karnataka Assembly polls while the BJP failed to cross the 70-seat mark.

On growing calls for Rahul Gandhi to be the Prime Ministerial candidate, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, "As I said, this (coming to power in Karnataka) is a huge responsibility. We went to the people with a few guarantees and must fulfill them. We have to work for the people. The public will tell us what will happen next."

Accusing the opposition of playing diverting attention from real issues, she said, "The most important thing is that the politics that attempts to divert people's attention and doesn't speak of public issues will not work anymore in this country. We saw this in Himachal and Karnataka. People want discussion on their issues and a solution to the same."

According to the latest trends of the Election Commission of India, Congress has won 126 seats and is leading in 10 more seats. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won 60 seats and is leading on five others.

Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) has won 19 seats. Independents have won two seats while Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha and Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha have won one seat each.

Earlier on Saturday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hailed the party's victory in Karnataka assembly polls and said that the people of the State defeated the politics of hate.

Addressing the media at the Congress headquarters in Delhi, Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress stood in support of the poor.

"The poor defeated crony capitalists in Karnataka. What I really liked about this election is that we did not fight the battle with hatred. We fought the elections with love...," he said.

The Congress maintained a lead from the morning when counting began for the assembly seats in the fiercely contested election.

Congress general secretary in-charge, Communications Jairam Ramesh said the result is a direct impact of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Karnataka, the intangible impact was unifying the party, revitalizing the cadre and shaping the narrative for the Karnataka elections.

"While this is the direct impact of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Karnataka, the intangible impact was uniting the party, reviving the cadre and shaping the narrative for the Karnataka elections. It was during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, from the many conversations Rahul Gandhi had with the people of Karnataka, that the guarantees and the promises in our manifesto were discussed and finalised," tweeted Jairam Ramesh.