Karnataka Congress to Analyse Karnataka MLC Poll Setback, Says Shivakumar

Bengaluru: The Congress will introspect following the party’s defeat in all four Karnataka Legislative Council constituencies, with D.K. Shivakumar saying the leadership will examine the results and identify areas that need improvement.

Reacting to the outcome, Shivakumar said the party respected the voters’ mandate, although it had hoped to win at least one seat. He acknowledged that the results conveyed a message from voters that the Congress would take seriously.

He said the party had secured a significant number of votes but needed to discuss the reasons behind its defeat and identify organisational lapses. The findings would guide corrective measures, he added.

Responding to the Opposition’s attempts to project the results as an indication of the political outlook for future elections, Shivakumar said it was inappropriate to draw broad conclusions from a single election. He also urged the Opposition to consider the outcomes of the Channapatna and Shiggaon bypolls.

The BJP’s sweep marks a setback for the Congress in the council polls. Shivakumar said the party would analyse the outcome and focus on strengthening its organisation in the coming days.