BJP's arithmetical victory both moral and political defeat: Congress on VP poll result
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New Delhi (PTI): The BJP's "arithmetical" victory in the vice presidential election is both a "moral and political defeat" for the ruling party, the Congress said on Tuesday and asserted that the Opposition stood united in the election with "most respectable" performance.
NDA candidate C P Radhakrishnan was elected the next vice president of India as he bagged 452 votes against the opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy's 300, winning the contest with a bigger than expected margin.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge extended best wishes to Radhakrishnan on securing victory in the election, while also expressing sincere gratitude to Reddy for being the "united Opposition’s joint candidate" and for his spirited and principled fight.
"This was more than an election; it was a battle of ideology, reaffirming that governments with authoritarian tendencies must be checked to protect our Constitution and democracy," Kharge said on X.
"We hope the new Vice President-elect will uphold the highest ethos of Parliamentary traditions, ensuring equal space and dignity for the Opposition, and not succumb to pressures of the ruling dispensation," the Congress chief said.
The vice president, the second highest constitutional office in the order of precedence, must be revitalised to reflect independence, fairness, and strength in safeguarding democratic values, Kharge said.
"We must also remember why this election was necessitated. Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned suddenly on the very day he chaired the opening of the Monsoon Session—an exit still unexplained and unceremonious," he said.
"As we move forward, transparency, accountability, and respect for Constitutional positions must guide our institutions in letter and spirit," Kharge said.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh asserted that the Opposition stood united for the vice presidential election.
"Its performance has undeniably been most respectable. Its joint candidate Justice (retd) B Sudershan Reddy secured 40% of the vote. In 2022, the Opposition had received 26% of the vote in the vice presidential elections," Ramesh said.
"The BJP's arithmetical victory is really both a moral and political defeat. The ideological battle continues undiminished," Ramesh said.
Congress' whip in the Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore said, "Justice Sudershan Reddy garu secured 300 votes (40%) in the VP elections. We in the INDIA alliance will continue to stand united for."
"Non-NDA parties like Jagan, BJD & BRS got fully exposed — choosing expediency over ideology," he said.
Congress leader Rajesh Thakur said cross-voting in favour of the NDA shows that the BJP is not only involved in "vote theft" but also in "vote dacoity".
Meanwhile, Reddy said he humbly accepts the defeat in the vice presidential polls and asserted that democracy is strengthened not by victory alone, but by the spirit of dialogue, dissent, and participation.
In a statement issued soon after NDA's Radhakrishnan was declared elected to the post of vice president, Reddy said that though the result was not in his favour, the larger cause "we have collectively sought to advance, remains undiminished".
"The ideological battle continues with ever greater vigour," he said.
Announcing the result of the vice presidential election this evening, Rajya Sabha Secretary General and Returning Officer P C Mody said 767 MPs cast their votes out of the total valid electors of 781 in a turnout of 98.2 per cent.
He said 752 ballots were valid and 15 invalid, bringing down the required majority of first preference votes to 377.
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JD(S) attacks K’taka govt over fuel prices, accuses it of mobilising funds for guarantee schemes
Mysuru (PTI): Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the Congress government in Karnataka over petrol and diesel prices, accusing it of "misleading the public" while repeatedly raising taxes and fuel prices to finance its guarantee schemes.
Addressing a public outreach programme titled 'Janarondige Janata Dal' (Janata Dal with the people) and a membership campaign in the Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency in Mysuru, the JD(S) state president challenged Congress leaders to make public the number of tax hikes and price increases imposed by the state government over the last three years.
"On one hand, the government is deceiving people by claiming to provide guarantees, while on the other, it is repeatedly increasing prices. Let the Congress government release a list of how many times it has imposed taxes and raised prices," Kumaraswamy said.
He alleged that the Congress government had continuously increased taxes and prices on liquor, bus fares, electricity, and several other sectors to mobilise funds for its five guarantee schemes—Gruha Lakshmi, Gruha Jyothi, Anna Bhagya, Shakti, and Yuva Nidhi.
Kumaraswamy also criticised Congress leaders for attacking the Centre over fuel price hikes and asked them to introspect on their own contribution to the state’s development before holding the proposed 'Sadhana Samavesha' (achievement convention) on May 19.
Referring to the global oil situation, he said the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran had triggered an international oil supply crisis and argued that fuel prices in India remained lower than in many developed countries.
"In Singapore, which is a developed country, petrol costs Rs 245. Congress leaders should open their eyes and see this," he claimed.
He further questioned what the Congress party would have done had it been in power during the present international crisis.
"Did anyone foresee that such a war would take place? If Congress leaders had such foresight, let them say so. If the Congress party itself had been in power during such a difficult situation, what would it have done?" Kumaraswamy asked.
Throughout his address, the former CM mounted a sustained attack on Congress leaders and dismissed claims that guarantee schemes had improved people’s lives.
"Congress leaders think people are living peacefully because of the guarantee schemes. That is wrong," he said.
Recalling the by-election scenario in the Chamundeshwari constituency in 2006, Kumaraswamy said JD(S) had suffered defeat due to internal mistakes within the party.
"If our leaders had been cautious then, the situation would not have reached this stage. JD(S) suffered defeat because of some mistakes on our part," he said.
He added that he shared a deep bond with the constituency.
Calling upon party workers to prepare for the next Assembly elections, Kumaraswamy expressed confidence that JD(S) would win 75 seats in the next polls and asserted that Chamundeshwari constituency would return to the party in 2028.
"There is no confusion in our party," he said, adding that JD(S) would not bow to any pressure and that the convention had been organised to strengthen its presence in Chamundeshwari.
"Our party has lakhs of loyal workers as its backbone. JD(S) remains strong even today because of the hard work of our cadre," he said.
Kumaraswamy also claimed that during his tenure as CM, he had sanctioned more funds for the Chamundeshwari constituency than the present CM (Siddaramaiah).
"We are not holding this convention to oppose anyone. We are organising it to inform the people about the failures of the state government," he said.
Addressing the gathering in a traditional turban, Kumaraswamy said the gesture was intended to send a message to the Hallumatha and Kuruba communities and reassure them of JD(S) support.
"JD(S) is working for Kurubas, Dalits, and minorities. I am not helping distressed people for publicity. I do it out of self-satisfaction and duty," he said.
