Siddaramaiah and Dinesh Gundu Rao resigns after Karnataka bye-poll loss

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Dec 9, 2019: Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday decided to step down as the leader of CLP & Leader of Opposition after the Congress suffered a massive defeat in the bye-elections.

Following Siddaramaiah, Dinesh Gundu Rao too submits his resignation as the President of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). "I am taking responsibility and resigning from the post of party’s Karnataka State President," says Dinesh Gundu Rao.

BJP sweeps the Karnataka bypolls as it is set to win in all the 12 constituencies it is leading in. BJP wins all three constituencies in the Belgaum district of the State. It broke into JD(S)’s bastion in KR Pete and secured the party’s first victory in the Mandya district. Meanwhile, Congress candidate HP Manjunath wins in the Hunsur district.

On Monday afternoon, after the results of bye-polls in 15 Assembly constituencies were announced, Siddaramaiah decided to step down from his post, stating that he accepts moral responsibility for the party’s defeat in Karnataka.

Speaking to the media at his residence in Kaveri, Siddaramaiah said, “I believe in democracy. In these 15 segments, the voters have delivered their verdict and I respect and accept it. My expectation was that the voters would reject those who defected and betrayed their own parties. I had expected that the voters will teach them a lesson. But my expectation has fallen flat today. I accept the people’s verdict. As the leader of the Congress Legislature Party, there are a few things I have to uphold and hence, I resign from my post as leader of the Congress Legislature Party.”