Following the thumping victory of the Congress-JD(S) alliance in the bypolls held for three Lok Sabha and two assembly seats in Karnataka, an elated Congress-JD(S) leadership thanked the people for blessing the party and expressed confidence in winning all Lok Sabha seats of the state in 2019.

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, whose wife Anitha Kumaraswamy won from Ramanagaram assembly segment today, said, “I congratulate Congress leaders in the state and at the Centre. I also congratulate JD(S) state leaders and workers who worked towards this win.”

Addressing the media on Tuesday, the CM targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for looking down upon the alliance.

“BJP calls JDS-Congress coalition ‘Apavitra Maitri’, today that contention has been nullified. This elections was the first step. There are 28 Lok Sabha seats (in Karnataka); we’ll work with Congress to win all of them – that is our goal,” he said.

“This is not an empty boast just because we have won today. This is the confidence of people in us. This win is not making us arrogant,” Kumaraswamy asserted.

Anitha Kumaraswamy won JD(S) stronghold Ramanagaram, a seat that was vacated by Kumaraswamy after he won it in the 2018 assembly elections along with Chhanapatna – a seat he retained.

Thanking voters and party leaders, former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a series of tweets.

“When @narendramodi does not answer questions of the ppl. Ppl will answer during elections,” he said pointing at the results.

“When @BJP4Karnataka forgets the mandate given by the people and get consumed by their arrogance. Ppl will make them bite the dust. This time it was Ballari mining dust,” Siddaramaiah wrote referring to the district which was once the stronghold of the saffron party but where the Congress was making a comeback after 14 years.

When @narendramodi does not answer questions of the ppl. Ppl will answer during elections.

When @BJP4Karnataka forgets the mandate given by the people & get consumed by their arrogance. Ppl will make them bite the dust. This time it was Ballari mining dust #KarnatakaRejectsBJP

— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) November 6, 2018

“Elections r the essence of democracy & the mandate by the ppl intends to strengthen it. Today’s result is the effort to reconstruct the crumbling blocks of democracy in the country,” Siddaramaiah wrote.

Congress leader and Minister for Irrigation and Medical Education DK Shivakumar, too, congratulated the people.

“This Deepavali, I thank the people of Karnataka & especially Bellary for blessing Congress party with this record victory,” he wrote in a tweet, referring to the positive results for the Congress-JD(S) alliance.

“With support and guidance of Congress President Shri @RahulGandhi & Former PM Shri HD Devegowda, the coalition leaders & workers strived hard to defeat BJP,” the MLA from Kanakapura wrote on Twitter.

These by-elections have set the tone for Congress-JD(S) alliance winning 20+ seats in the 2019 Loksabha Election.

Also, more important than winning is to deliver development for the people who have trusted us. We pledge to make Bellary & Karnataka the epitome of good governance.

— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) November 6, 2018

Expressing confidence in the victory of the alliance in the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha Election, Shivakumar said, “These by-elections have set the tone for Congress-JD(S) alliance winning 20+ seats in the 2019 Loksabha Election. Also, more important than winning is to deliver development for the people who have trusted us. We pledge to make Bellary & Karnataka the epitome of good governance.”

Karnataka Congress Committee president Dinesh Gundu Rao tweeted that the verdict of the bypolls proves the failure of the Modi government in addressing the issues of the people.

“Resounding win for the @INCIndia & @JanataDal_S coalition in Karnataka. 4-1 thrashing to BJP. People have rejected the negative politics of BJP in Karnataka and the abject failure of Modi govt in addressing people’s issues. Congrats to all the winners,” read his tweet.

Resounding win for the @INCIndia & @JanataDal_S coalition in Karnataka. 4-1 thrashing to BJP.
People have rejected the negative politics of BJP in Karnataka and the abject failure of Modi govt in addressing people’s issues.
Congrats to all the winners.

— Dinesh Gundu Rao (@dineshgrao) November 6, 2018

Speaking to the media in the state, Rao said that the results “will send a message to the entire country that the time for change has come”, alluding to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections next year.

The Congress-JD(S) alliance won four of the five seats. The only seat that the BJP won was Shimoga Lok Sabha constituency.