Ruling BJP trounced in Indian state polls

NEW DELHI — India's main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, or INC, on Saturday won the assembly elections in the southern state of Karnataka, unseating the ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP.

Congress won 135 seats against 66 for the BJP in the 224-member legislature, the Election Commission website showed at the end of counting.

A party needs to win at least 113 assembly constituencies to form government in the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the INC on its win. He tweeted, "Congratulations to the Congress Party for their victory in the Karnataka Assembly polls. My best wishes to them in fulfilling people's aspirations."

Hailing his party's victory, INC leader Mallikarjun Kharge tweeted, "This is truly the victory of the people of Karnataka. They have voted for their progressive future, their welfare and social justice. With folded hands, we thank them for putting their trust in us."

The election is the first of five crucial state polls this year that are seen as setting the tone for parliamentary elections due in April and May 2024, Reuters reported.

It is also the first big electoral faceoff between the BJP and the INC since Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was convicted of defamation in March and lost his parliament seat.

" (The) Congress party stood with the poor in Karnataka, we fought on the issues of the poor," Gandhi told reporters.

Karnataka is home to about 65 million people and is considered the BJP's gateway to southern India.

"We accept the verdict of people of Karnataka with due respect, we will take this verdict in our stride," Basavaraj Bommai, the BJP's outgoing chief minister of Karnataka, tweeted.

"We will analyze and correct our mistakes and rebuild the party and come back during parliamentary elections."

Agencies - Xinhua