Karnataka Election Result 2018: BJP victory an endorsement of Narendra Modi's development agenda, say party leaders

New Delhi: With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) set for an impressive win in the Karnataka Assembly election, its leaders described the victory as an endorsement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s development agenda and claimed that people have rejected the divisive, toxic and negative agenda of the Congress. [caption id=“attachment_4343241” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] According to the Election Commission figures, BJP is leading in over 112 seats and appears set to gain a majority. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also took a swipe at Congress president Rahul Gandhi, saying ‘someone was dreaming of becoming prime minister’, a reference to Gandhi’s statement during the Karnataka poll campaign that he was ready for the job if his party emerged victorious in the next Lok Sabha election. Prasad’s cabinet colleague Nirmala Sitharaman said it was a historic day for the BJP and the win was an endorsement of Modi’s development agenda. People have rejected the divisive, toxic and negative politics of the Congress, she added. Prakash Javadekar, another Union minister who was also the state in-charge, said the BJP won because it is a party of the masses while the Congress is a party of a dynasty. “This is a victory of Modi and party president Amit Shah’s strategy,” he said. Polling in Karnataka was held for 222 of the 224 Assembly seats on 12 May. Polling for RR Nagar seat was deferred on account of alleged electoral malpractices, while it was countermanded in Jayanagar seat following the death of the BJP candidate. Click here for LIVE updates