Congress, Opposition Parties Under Same 'Delusion' About 2024 After Karnataka Win As They Were After 2018 State Polls: Naqvi

Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Monday said the Congress and some other Opposition parties are under the same "delusion" about 2024 general election after the Karnataka polls win as they were in 2018 after their good showing in the state polls back then.

In the May 10 Karnataka polls, the Congress won 135 of the 224 seats, while the BJP and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) secured 66 and 19 seats.

Asked about the talk of Opposition unity and the positive impact of the Karnataka win on the 2024 polls, Naqvi said the Congress and some other Opposition parties are under the same "delusion" as they were in 2018 after the performance of the "grand old party" in the assembly elections in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka.

In 2018, the Congress had won the polls in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh and was able to form the government in Karnataka along with the JD(S). Recalling that time, Naqvi said some people were "counting down the end of Modi Magic", but the "arithmetic of Modi’s success spoiled their mathematics".

After winning a big majority in 2014, the public gave a "bumper mandate" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by giving 303 seats to the BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he told reporters here. "Modi ji took the BJP from 116 to 282 seats in 2014 and brought down the ruling Congress from 282 to 44 seats. This was a result of his determination," he said.

"Modi ji has ensured the BJP's success in elections after elections in several states. He has taken India's pride to newer heights at the global level and he has ensured inclusive empowerment through his mantra of development with trust," Naqvi said. The BJP leader said Modi's success is the result of his commitment to "reform, perform and transform".