Dharwad
Labour Minister Santosh Lad commented over the significant lead obtained by BJP candidate Pralhad Joshi in the Kalghatgi constituency and Dharwad Rural, represented by Congress MLA Vinay Kulkarni. In response to media inquiries, he noted the BJP’s substantial leads of over 32,000 votes in Kalghatgi and nearly 23,000 votes in Dharwad Rural.
Lad stated that the party would reflect on the reasons for Congress’s setback in these two constituencies and undertake corrective actions. Nevertheless, he portrayed it as a moral victory for the Congress and India block. Lad added that the election outcomes also indicated a decline in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity and the waning of the Modi wave.
Highlighting the Congress’s increased vote share, Lad remarked on the diminished impact of the Modi wave, which BJP had relied on in previous elections. Despite falling short of the numbers needed to form a government, Lad expressed encouragement from the results, attributing the close contest to the collective efforts of Congress workers.
Reflecting on Union Minister Pralhad Joshi’s expectations of a significant victory margin, Lad noted the Congress’s commendable effort in reducing the margin to 96,000 votes. He credited Congress’s guarantee schemes for enabling its candidate to put up a competitive fight. However, Lad acknowledged the party’s inability to translate the increased vote share into seats and emerge as the single largest party.
