Gujarat Assembly election results won't have impact on Karnataka: Siddaramaiah

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said that the election results of one state won't impact other states, and that the Congress will win the next Legislative Assembly elections even if they do not resort to any strategy.

Reacting to the results of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh elections, he said, "We had information that there was a close fight between Congress and BJP in Himachal Pradesh. Congress has an edge there."

"We knew that BJP would win in Gujarat, so there was no surprise about it. The AAP had eaten away the Congress votes there. It was the strategy of BJP to divide Congress votes and had funded AAP for it," he said.

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He said though AAP had spent more money than Congress for campaigning in Gujarat, they could get only 10 per cent votes. "AAP cannot resort to such a strategy in Karnataka as they don't have any existence there. They may do it with JD(S), but it will not help them," he added.

He said since Rahul Gandhi was on a 'padayatra', he could campaign in Gujarat only for two days, but AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge had campaigned there.

When asked if BJP's victory in Gujarat would have an impact on Karnataka, Siddaramaiah said, "if that is so, why didn't the BJP get more votes in Delhi municipality elections? The victory of a party in one state will not have an impact on any other state as the elections are faced based on local problems and issues."

He said the BJP government is highly corrupt in Karnataka. "None of the works are cleared without 40 per cent commission. There is strong anti-incumbency against BJP's maladministration and non-performance."

"Gujarat cannot be compared to Karnataka. We are strongly organised in the State. Even if we do not resort to any strategy, we will win in the next Assembly elections," he added.