Bandi defiant despite BJP loss in Karnataka polls
Telangana BJP president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar.
HYDERABAD: BJP Telangana chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Saturday dismissed the prospect of the party’s loss in Karnataka polls impacting its chances in the Telangana elections, attributing the Congress win to “JD(S), AIMIM and NDPI ensuring voters of a particular section were cast for the Congress.”
Rejecting claims by Congress leaders that Telangana will see a repeat of Karnataka results, Sanjay said: “When elections are held in Telangana, it is certain that Congress, BRS, AIMIM and the communist parties will get together. In Karnataka, it was the Congress that started communalising the campaign, claiming it will implement four per cent reservation for minorities, that it will lift the ban on Popular Front of India, and ban Bajrang Dal. Today, after the results, some people are trying to spread misinformation about the BJP and belittle it.”
Addressing reporters in Karimnagar, a day ahead of his annual Hindu Ekta Yatra, Sanjay said that although the BJP lost some seats in Karnataka, its vote share remained stable, at 36 per cent. Instead, the Congress’ vote share rose from 38 per cent in the last elections to 43 per cent this time around, while the JD(S)’ share fell from 20 per cent to 13 per cent.
He said that the Telangana people “understand the minority appeasement policies of the Congress” and the same would not work in the state. He said that the takeaway from the Karnataka elections is for Hindus to stay united to defeat such parties.
Sanjay said that the BJP’s vote share has been steadily rising in Telangana, citing its win of 48 seats in GHMC polls compared to 4 seats in the election before that. He also cited the party’s wins in Dubbak and Huzurabad, where Congress lost its security deposits.
“It is the BJP that has emerged as the sole alternative political force in Telangana to the BRS. And when elections are held, the BJP will win,” he said.
Asked if the loss in Karnataka was a blow to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sanjay said, “It is the responsibility of senior leaders to campaign for their party candidates. That is what Modi did. On the other hand, during the GHMC Council elections, KTR did not even campaign for his party candidates.”
