Putting up a brave front despite facing a setback in the Urban Local Bodies polls, Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar today rubbished the opposition Congress claim that it was on a comeback trail with the assembly polls just two months away.
As the BJP struggled to come to terms with the electoral loss that saw the party share the second spot with JDS while yielding the ground to Congress, he also maintained that the outcome would not impact party's electoral prospects in the Assembly elections.
On the Congress talking about coming back to power following a "favourable" ULB results, Shettar, speaking to reporters here, said many of their top leaders have underperformed in their backyards.
"G Paramaeshwara (KPCC chief), S M Krishna (Former External Affairs Minister), Siddaramaiah (Opposition leader in the assembly) and Mallikarjun Kharge (Union minister)... All their magic did not work in their respective strongholds. Instead, their parties have not gained clear majority in ULB elections. These facts the Congress should consider before they make any comments," Shettar contended.
Asserting that the ULB outcome would not affect the party's performance in assembly elections, he said in the 2007 ULB elections, the BJP came a poor fourth, but went on to win the 2008 Assembly polls, improving its tally from 80 seats to 110 seats. We are confident that BJP will romp home once again in the ensuing state elections."
Shettar also argued that ULB election results are not precursor to the assembly polls or a referendum on the performance of the ruling BJP because only 22 per cent of the population exercised their franchise.
"This does not exactly reflect the electoral prospects of any party for the assembly elections," he said, a day after the results were announced with Congress securing 1,960 wards and BJP and JDS sharing 905 each and the rest by others.
Shettar said despite facing political turmoil including two splits in the form of BSR Congress and Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) launched by former BJP strongman B S Yeddyurappa, the party has secured the second place in ULB elections as many independents were supporting his party in two districts.
