“Expected to win 14-15 seats…will analyse”: DK Shivakumar on Congress performance in LS polls

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 11 (ANI): After a meeting on the Congress performance in Lok Sabha polls in the state, Karnataka party President DK Shivakumar on Thursday said that the party will analyse where they made mistakes as Congress expected to win 14-15 seats in the general elections.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the BJP won 17 seats, the Congress won 9, and the Janata Dal (Secular) won 2 seats.

“We went to 9 seats from 1 seat, we had expected to win 14-15 seats. We held today’s party meeting to analyse where we made mistakes… I know BJP and JD(S) will fight together in alliance. We are looking at what we can do in the future,” Shivakumar told reporters.

On Karnataka Congress meeting over Lok Sabha results, party leader MB Patil said, “In the meeting, it was discussed why we could not reach the 15 seats target. I briefed about my parliamentary segment.”

Over the Enforcement Directorate raids in the Valmiki Development Corporation case were unwarranted, Karnataka Deputy CM said that there was no need to ED raid.

“There was no need to ED raid. Our SIT officers have already done an investigation and money has been recovered. CBI have already filed an FIR and they have provisions to take up the investigation, ED doesn’t have that provision. There is a procedure for how it can be done, not on NR Ramesh or somebody’s complaint ED can do an investigation,” he added.

The development comes after ED conducted raids at many places on Wednesday allegedly linked to former Karnataka Minister B Nagendra and MLA Basanagouda Daddal in connection with the embezzlement of funds in Valmiki Development Corporation.

On NCSC’s notice to Karnataka over the alleged diversion of SC/ST funds, Shivakumar said that there is nothing wrong with it.

“We have brought a law, whatever money we are spending, we are spending to the same community people, like this percentage of money we are going to spend on the concerned. First, it was brought in Andhra Pradesh, then we have brought it. There is nothing wrong in it,” he said.

The BJP and JD-S allied to contest the Lok Sabha election in Karnataka, with the former fighting on 25 seats, while the latter is contesting on three seats.

In the 2019 elections, the BJP almost swept the state by winning 25 out of 28 seats. Congress and JD-S — who were in coalition in the state government — could only win one seat each.