Karnataka poll results not a sign of Modi wave, premature to say BJP will form govt: Shiv Sena

A day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single largest party in Karnataka elections, winning 104 seats in the 224-member state Assembly, the Shiv Sena, its ally, said the win was not because of a “Modi wave”.

In an editorial in its mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, the Sena on Wednesday claimed that the BJP may have won more seats, but its percentage of votes has not gone up. On the other hand, the Congress’ percentage of votes has risen, the editorial added. “These are not signs of a Modi wave.”

The party’s statement comes a day after its leaders confirmed that the Karnataka poll results would not change the Sena’s plan to contest the 2019 elections solo.

“With the win in Karnataka, the BJP is again attributing it to the Modi wave. But it is not a Modi wave. Looking at the current political uncertainty, it would be premature to say that the BJP is set to form a government in the 16th state in the country,” the editorial said. “We are not ready to believe that the Congress lost in Karnataka due to the Modi wave.”

The Congress has won 78 seats and Deve Gowda’s Janata Dal (S) has bagged 37 seats, so there remains a possibility of the two parties forming an alliance to form the next government, if the BJP cannot prove its majority.

The editorial said the Congress lost despite a “conducive” environment to win back in power in the state owing to former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s “overconfidence”. “The Congress made statements about giving religious minority status to the Lingayat community during campaigning... but that did not work. The constituencies that are dominated by the community voted in large numbers for the BJP,” it pointed out.

In January, the Sena announced that it will not enter into an alliance with the BJP for the 2019 Maharashtra and general elections. It contested the Karnataka elections solo and fielded 40 candidates.