Lucknow : Amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections in the country, Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar at a news conference held in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow said that the INDIA alliance will register victory on around 300 parliamentary seats and that the NDA will manage about 200 seats.
''INDIA alliance is winning almost 300 seats and NDA will get around 200. We believe in collective leadership... We will win the elections and will come together to discuss and form the government and have a leadership," said DK Shivakumar.
He further stated, "Earlier also when UPA came in power, all the parliamentary members wanted Sonia Gandhi to be Prime Minister of the country. We also gave a letter to the APJ Abdul Kalam, then president of the country. But Sonia Gandhi decided that a Sikh man, an economist (Dr Manmohan Singh) must become the PM to save the country."
DK Shivakumar launched a scathing attack against the Bharatiya Janata Party and said that they need to be accountable for black money, farmers' income, and unemployment.
"BJP needs to first answer the people of India on this: Where is the black money it was supposed to bring back? Why hasn't the income of farmers doubled as BJP promised? Where are the 2 crore/year jobs promised to our youth?" DK Shivakumar pointed out.
Hailing the efforts of the Congress party he stated, "Congress Party on the other hand; introduced the 5 guarantees on the first day itself in Karnataka. Instructed its officials to implement the 5 guarantees in the first month only. The difference is clear. People see and vote for the one who delivers on promises, and that's why throughout India, people are supporting the Congress Party to lead them towards a brighter future."
Notably, voting for 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka was held in two phases. While 14 seats were polled on April 26, the remaining 14 voted on May 7. The counting of votes is scheduled for June 4. In the 2019 elections, the BJP almost swept the state by winning 25 out of 28 seats. Congress and JD-S -- who were in coalition in the state government -- could only win one seat each.