"People of Karnataka rejected politics of hatred...," Farooq Abdullah

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 13 : Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah on Saturday congratulated the people of Karnataka for "rejecting politics of hatred and accepting the politics of love" as the Congress is set to form the government in the southern state after emerging as the single largest political party with an overwhelming majority.

Speaking to , National Conference Chief said, "I want to congratulate the people of Karnataka for rejecting the politics of hatred and accepting the politics of love"

"I congratulate each and every worker of the Congress party. I congratulate Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress's top brass for this victory. They all worked very hard during campaigning. We should promote the politics of love," Farooq said.

He said that the Bharat Jodo Yatra impacted the outcome of the results.

"I hope the Congress party will fulfil the poll promises made to the people of Karnataka," he said.

With the counting of votes for the Karnataka assembly elections concluded on Saturday, Congress got a thumping majority by winning 136 seats.

According to the Election Commission of India, Congress won 136 seats pushing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) out of power in the only southern state it ruled, and boosting its own prospects for the electoral battles ahead.

BJP managed to win 65 seats. Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) bagged 19 seats. Independents have won two seats while Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha and Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha won one seat each.

The Congress maintained a lead from the morning when counting began for the assembly seats in the fiercely contested election.

Notably, Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar defeated JDS candidate B Nagaraju in the Kanakapura constituency by 1,22,392 votes.

Earlier today Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hailed the party's victory in Karnataka assembly polls and said that people of the State defeated the politics of hate.

Addressing the media at the Congress headquarters in Delhi, Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress stood in support of the poor.

"The poor defeated crony capitalists in Karnataka. What I really liked about this election is that we did not fight the battle with hatred. We fought the elections with love...," he said.

The Congress maintained a lead from the morning when counting began for the assembly seats in the fiercely contested election.

Congress general secretary in-charge, Communications Jairam Ramesh said the result is a direct impact of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Karnataka, the intangible impact was unifying the party, revitalizing the cadre and shaping the narrative for the Karnataka elections.

"While this is the direct impact of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Karnataka, the intangible impact was uniting the party, reviving the cadre and shaping the narrative for the Karnataka elections. It was during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, from the many conversations Rahul Gandhi had with the people of Karnataka, that the guarantees and the promises in our mfesto were discussed and finalised," tweeted Jairam Ramesh.