PM Modi gives standing ovation to K'taka people for BJP's victory in bypolls

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the BJP parliamentary party meeting on Wednesday morning, gave a standing ovation to the people of Karnataka for voting for the BJP in the state's by-elections and expressed his gratitude to the electorate for the party's "record margin" victory.

'PM Modi gave a standing ovation to the people of Karnataka'

"During the meeting, we gave a standing ovation to welcome the Prime Minister. But, the Prime Minister while congratulating Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, state ministers and BJP leadership in Karnataka, gave a standing ovation to the people of Karnataka," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi told reporters on Wednesday after the BJP parliamentary party meeting at the Parliament Library. "We won by a record margin and we also won two seats where we did not win before. The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to the people of Karnataka. The Prime Minister hoped that development will progress at a faster pace with a stable government in place," Joshi said while quoting Modi.

The BJP on Monday registered a huge victory in the Karnataka by-elections, winning 12 out of 15 seats, and secured a comfortable majority in the 224-member house with the Congress managing just two seats and the JD (S) failing to open its account. With these results, the BJP now has 117 MLAs and there are now 222 legislators in the state Assembly. The four-month-old government led by Yediyurappa now has a majority in the House, getting to the magic number of 112. The Congress now has 68 MLAs while JD (S) has 34 legislators in the Assembly.

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Congress leaders resign post-by-polls defeat

Accepting defeat in the Karnataka by-polls on Monday Congress Legislative Party (CLP) chief Siddaramaiah resigned from his posts after the declaration of results. "I have tendered my resignation as leader of CLP and as Leader of Opposition. I have sent my resignation to Sonia Gandia, KC Venugopal, and Dinesh Gundurao. My expectations have been defeated," he said in a press conference. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee chief Dinesh Gundurao also resigned from his post following the resignation of Siddaramaiah as LoP saying, " I am taking responsibility and resigning from the post of party's Karnataka State President."

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(With ANI inputs)