A month after the results of the 17th general elections were announced, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) on Wednesday discussed five possible reasons, including an alliance with its governing partner in the State — the Janata Dal (Secular) — for the party’s poor show in the elections.
In the presence of AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka K.C. Venugopal, the former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and top leaders of the party, the KPCC did an introspection over the party’s poor performance in the elections. In the three-hour-long meeting, Mr. Venugopal obtained details from each of the 28 parliamentary constituencies and identified five major reasons for the party’s drubbing.
The five reasons, according to sources, are: internal differences within the Congress, failure of Congress MLAs to secure lead to the party candidates in the constituency they represented, negative image created about the coalition government, alliance with the JD(S), and inability of the State leadership to counter the “Modi wave” during the campaign.
The Congress and the JD(S) contested in 21 and seven constituencies, respectively. They, however, won one seat each, while the Opposition BJP bagged 25 seats. In Mandya, BJP-backed Independent candidate Sumalatha won.
The leaders argued that the negative image about the party led to its defeat in at least four or five constituencies in the the State. The party leaders felt that “back-stabbing by JD(S) leaders” in some of the constituencies was a major factor for the party’s defeat.
The defeated party candidates too attended the meeting. The former Chief Minister M. Veerappa Moily, who also lost, too had earlier blamed the alliance with the JD(S) for the party’s poor performance in the elections.