Karnataka 'win' unprecedented and extraordinary: PM Modi

Modi started his speech at the BJP headquarters in Delhi on Tuesday evening by expressing grief over the collapse of the under construction flyover in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi city.

Speaking on the results of the Karnataka Assembly elections, the Prime Minister said the people of the south Indian state gave a huge blow to the Congress party.

He accused the Congress party of trying to damage the federal structure of India.

On his party's performance in Karnataka polls, Modi said: "They said the BJP is a party of Hindi speaking states. Are Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, the Northeastern states Hindi speaking states? No, BJP represents India and our proud diversity."

The PM said he never face problem due to language.

"Though I don't not know Kannada, yet language has never been a barrier for me," said he.

Furthering attacking the Congress party, Modi said: "Oppositions indulge in repeated lies about the BJP. Congress has also instigated North-South animosity."

He also thanked the party workers for their efforts during the election.

"I want to thank the people of Karnataka. I also want to thank our party karyakartas. They have worked so hard in the elections. Our national president Amit Shah ji worked so hard," said Modi.

Earlier BJP India President Amit Shah thanked all party workers, leaders and voters of Karnataka for their support.

In a day of dramatic change of political fortunes in Karnataka, the Congress has roped in the Janata Dal (Secular) to form an alliance government in the state after the prospects of the BJP suddenly nosedived in the later stage of the counting, even as it seemed initially that the saffron was heading for a clean sweep.

To keep the saffron brigade out of power in the southern state, the Congress adopted a strategy which was followed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Goa and Manipur in 2017.

At 11 am on Tuesday, celebrations were taking place at the BJP headquarters as the party was all set to uproot the Siddaramaiah government to install its own in Karnataka.

But much like a T20 match, the political game turned around with the BJP’s gaining 104 seats in the 224 memeber Assembly, slipping below the majority mark (113) within an hour or so.

The distribution of sweets by the BJP leaders- Nirmala Sitharaman and Ravishankar Prasad- were substituted by an utter disappointment with the alteration of political arithmetic in the Karnataka assembly poll.

The Congress, which trailed the BJP by many seats in the state polls, quickly got in touch with former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda’s JD(S), which has managed 38 seats.

The Congress, which won 78 seats, did not delay in establishing connection with the JD(S) to discuss over the possible coalition government.

Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi contacted  the JD(S) leaders and offered Gowda’s son Kumaraswamy the Chief Ministerial post while the latter promptly accepted it.

The Congress’ effort suddenly reminded how the BJP, which appeared second in both Goa and Manipur state polls last year, managed to escalate to power by forging a post-poll alliance with other regional parties.