Congress won’t cross halfway mark in Karnataka Assembly: Pralhad Joshi

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, April 7

Ahead of the BJP’s April 9 Central Election Committee meeting to decide on Karnataka candidates, senior minister and Dharwad MP Pralhad Joshi on Friday said the saffron party was well on course to “form the government on its own in the southern state.”

Joshi, speaking to reporters after the BJP joining of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and ex-Congress veteran Kiran Kumar Reddy, said that “no one can stop the Congress from dreaming, but the fact remains that it will not cross the halfway mark in the state Assembly.”

In a 224-member Karnataka Assembly, a winning party must secure 113 seats, a tall order considering the state has thrown up hung verdicts in four out of the last five elections.

Joshi said the BJP had made ground preparations for the May 10 elections and had ensured the fruits of government schemes reach all beneficiaries.

Noting factionalism and “support to anti national forces like the PFI and SDPI to secure the Muslim vote” as the Congress’ banes in Karnataka, Joshi said, “People will teach the Congress a lesson for readily agreeing to pander to forces inimical to India’s security for electoral considerations.”

Joshi also referred to “Congress leaders jumping ship to the BJP after losing faith in the party and its future” to say: “Congress’ own leaders are joining us.” He was speaking in reference to Congress veteran AK Antony’s son Anil Antony crossing over to the BJP, followed by former Andhra Pradesh CM Kiran Reddy.

On BJP’s own prospects and delay in ticket declarations, Joshi said, “The BJP is an organised party which knows its strategy. We are focused on ground work. Central and state schemes have reached people. The list is expected to come on April 9 but more than the list, preparation is important. That is the question.”

The BJP which emerged the single largest party in Karnataka in 2018 lost the chance to form the government after the Congress and the JDS allied. A year later, however, defections from the Congress and JDS ranks to the BJP led to the formation of the BJP government.

This year, the JDS has publicly distanced itself from the Congress in signs which the BJP views as positive, given pollsters’ preliminary predictions of another hung verdict.

In 2018, the BJP won 104 seats, the Congress 78 and the JDS 37.