'People are tired of PM Modi': Jairam slams BJP over Karnataka results

Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh on Sunday, came out hard against the Bharatiya Janata Party over the election results in Karnataka and claimed that people have become "tired" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and were not even enthusiastic about his campaign.

Meanwhile, the Congress party registered a thumping victory in Karnataka by winning 135 out of the 224 assembly seats in the state, pushing BJP out of the only southern state it ruled.

Speaking to ANI, Ramesh said, "His (PM Modi) language...double engine! What does he even mean by that? In his mind, a double engine means he himself sitting in Delhi, and his remote control sitting in Bengaluru, Bhopal or anywhere else. This is not double engine. Double engine means one engine economic development and the other engine social harmony".

"People are tired of PM and his campaign, no matter how many roadshows he did, flowers were sprinkled from the sky, but people were not enthusiastic. Just look at the voter turnout. It was over 73 per cent in Karnataka but so less in Bengaluru," the senior Congress leader added.

He further said that the party received votes from all sections of society.

"Our (Congress) vote share increased, and our seats also increased. We received votes from all sections of society, especially from the poor, rural, Adivasis and tribal people," he said.

The Congress leader also slammed BJP over the 'Bajrang Bali' row that erupted after the party mentioned "stringent action" against organisations like Bajrang Dal in its election manifesto.

"Bajrang Dal is different and Bajrang Bali is different. Bajrang Dal believes in spreading politics of hatred and violence. What about when then Goa CM Manohar Parrikar banned 'Shri Ram Sena'? Did PM Modi ask then that Shri Ram has been insulted?" Ramesh said.

He added, "And what Congress did say in its manifesto; is any organisation that breaks the law, spreads religious hatred, religious bigotry, spreads communal violence will be dealt with according to the law and constitution".

Karnataka went to the polls on May 10 for the 224-member state assembly and saw a record polling of 72.68 per cent.

According to the Election Commission of India, Congress won 135 seats boosting its own prospects for the electoral battles ahead. BJP managed to win 66 seats.

Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) bagged 19 seats. Independents have won two seats while Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha and Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha won one seat each.