'BJP mukt South India': Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge after Karnataka victory

Hitting out at the BJP, after the thumping victory of the Congress in the Karnataka Assembly elections, AICC president M Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said those who wanted 'Congress Mukt Bharat' ended up facing 'BJP Mukt Dakshin Bharat'.

Kharge took a swipe at the BJP, saying egoistic statements will not work anymore and one should understand the sufferings of people. "Those who wanted to make 'Congress Mukt Bharat' (Congress-free India) spoke many things against us but today one thing has come true and that is 'BJP Mukt Dakshin Bharat' (BJP free South India)," Kharge said in a press conference.

Kharge cautioned the Congress leaders, saying they should work with all humility and remain grounded. He termed the party's win in the May 10 elections as 'people's victory' and not that of any individual.

"After 35 years, we got such a landslide victory. This we should remember. We won because we all won together, which otherwise would not have been possible," Kharge said. He underlined that the victory was the result of collective leadership.

"Because we worked together, we won. If we were scattered we would have remained in the same condition as we were in the last time (2018)," Kharge pointed out. Congress won Karnataka with a comfortable majority of 136 seats in the 224-member state Legislative Assembly. Elections were held in the state on May 10 and the votes counted on Saturday, May 13.

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