H.D. Kumaraswamy, State president, JD(S), said there was no reason for the Congress or BJP to celebrate the poll outcome in Gujarat.
“Both the parties are disappointed with their performance in Gujarat,” he said. Despite camping for 15 days and addressing 70 public rallies, Mr. Modi could not ensure that the BJP reached the expected target. At the same time, Congress has failed to exploit anti-incumbency of the BJP, he said.
Mr. Kumaraswamy pointed out that 1.8% opted for NOTA (none of the above), which points to a vacuum created by the absence of a regional party. “The outcome of Gujarat polls will not have an impact on Karnataka as we have a strong regional party. The ground reality in Gujarat differs from Karnataka,” he claimed.
