Congrats, Cartoons and No Mention of Name: How Opposition Parties Reacted to Congress’s Win

Amidst talk of opposition unity, the likes of MK Stalin, Nitish Kumar, KT Rama Rao, Akhilesh Yadav, Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee and the CPI(M) have reacted to Congress’s emphatic victory in Karnataka.

New Delhi: Amidst growing demand for a united opposition ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, parties in the opposition to the Bharatiya Janata Party – some in alliance with Congress in states and others not so warm towards it – have reacted to its emphatic victory against BJP in Karnataka.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has released a statement heralding the BJP’s defeat, and saying that it reflect’s its gross misrule. The Left and Congress are allied in states like Tamil Nadu and Tripura, but are opposed in Left-ruled Kerala.

“The people of Karnataka have decisively rejected the BJP in the assembly elections. This defeat is the result of the gross misrule and corruption of the BJP government. This verdict also shows that the people have rejected the virulent communal propaganda conducted during the election campaign led by PM Modi himself,” the CPI(M) said.

Congratulating Karnataka’s people for its strong verdict against BJP, it said, “The strong anti-incumbency has benefited the Congress which has won a big majority in the assembly.”

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam head and chief minister of Tamil Nadu, M.K. Stalin, congratulated Congress in a tweet in which he decried the “unjustifiable disqualification of brother” Rahul Gandhi from the parliament.

“Congrats @INCIndia on spectacular winning of Karnataka. The unjustifiable disqualification of brother @RahulGandhi
as MP, misusing premier investigative agencies against political opponents, imposing Hindi, rampant corruption have all echoed in the minds of Karnataka people while voting and they have upheld the #KannadigaPride by teaching a befitting lesson to BJP’s vindictive politics. The landmass of Dravidian family stands clear of BJP. Now let us all work together to win 2024 to restore democracy and constitutional values in India,” Stalin wrote.

Stalin has been vocal in speaking on behalf of Congress.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who has been meeting other opposition leaders often, wrote a tweet on the results as well.

“The message from Karnataka is that the ‘end’ of BJP’s negative, communal, corrupt, rich-oriented, anti-women-youth, social-divisive, false propaganda, individualistic politics has begun. This is a strict mandate of new positive India against inflation, unemployment, corruption and animosity,” he wrote in Hindi.

Telangana minister K. T. Rama Rao said thanks to the people of Karnataka “for rejecting ugly and divisive politics”. He was also critical of BJP’s use of the propaganda film Kerala Story to win in Karnataka and said, “Similarly Karnataka election results will have no bearing on Telangana.”

Congress’s Bihar ally, Rashtriya Janata Dal, has also released several tweets, replete with cartoons, on the occasion.

In Hindi, the RJD wrote that “Bajrang Bali” had won 130 and “Bajrang Dal” got 66. This is a play on PM Narendra Modi’s claim that Congress’s promise to ban Bajrang Dal was an insult to Bajrangbali or Hanuman, a Hindu deity.

RJD and Congress’s Bihar ally Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar tweeted hearty congratulations to Congress in Hindi, with a tweet.

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, AAP national convenor and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal congratulated the Congress and also sought to downplay Aam Aadmi Party’s dismal performance in the Karnataka election.

PTI reported that he said, “Congratulations to them,” when asked by reporters for a reaction.

National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, meanwhile, denoted Congress’s politics as one of love. To ANI, the Kashmir leader said, “I want to congratulate the people of Karnataka for rejecting the politics of hatred and accepting the politics of love.”

Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress party chief Mamata Banerjee did not mention Congress by name and instead congratulated people of Karnataka for scripting a “lesson for tomorrow.” TMC has been notably absent in opposition attempts to unite.