'Nafrat ka bazaar' has shut, 'mohabbat ki dukaanein' have opened: Rahul on Karnataka victory

Rahul Gandhi who extensively campaigned in Karnataka thanked the people of Karnataka for defeating the 'hate-mongers' and 'crony capitalists'.

New Delhi: The market is hatred shut. Shops of love are open, disqualified Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said on Saturday while reacting to the emphatic mandate his party received in the Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023.

"I thank and congratulate the people of Karnataka, party workers and leaders," Gandhi said at a press conference here. "I am happy we contested the Karnataka polls without using hate, bad language. We fought the polls with love. In Karnataka, 'nafrat ka bazaar (market of hate)' has closed down', 'mohabbat ki dukaanein' (shops of love) have opened," he said.

The strength of poor people defeated the power of crony capitalists. This will happen in all states, Rahul said in an apparent reference to the upcoming elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Telangana which are due later this year and the Lok Sabha General Elections 2024. In Karnataka polls, he said, on one side there was the power of crony capitalists, on the other there was the strength of poor people.

The counting projections based on the number of votes polled show that Congress candidates have won 131 seats and leading in three more seats at the time of this report. The party headquarters here witnessed a festive mood with workers bursting crackers, dancing to bhangra tunes and also distributing sweets.

Meanwhile, Congress stalwart Siddaramaiah said the outcome of the Karnataka elections will be a stepping stone for the party's victory in 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He also hoped that former Congress president Rahul Gandhi would become the Prime Minister. According to the former Chief Minister, the Karnataka election result is a "mandate" against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

"I think this election is a crucial election. This result of this election is the stepping stone for the party in the Lok Sabha election in 2024," the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly said. "I also hope that Rahul Gandhi may become the Prime Minister of this country," he added.

Siddaramaiah who won the election from Varuna constituency defeating incumbent BJP minister V Somanna, said he now expected the non-BJP parties to come together at the national level. "I hope all non-BJP parties come together so that the BJP is defeated," Siddaramaiah said.