An upbeat mood in the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office on Queen's Road in the morning turned into jubilant celebrations by afternoon, as the party surged ahead of the majority mark in the state assembly elections.
At 11 am, some party workers raised slogans in favour of D K Shivakumar, pitching the 'Kanakapura Bande' (the rock of Kanakapura) as the next chief minister. Initially, the slogans didn't mention Siddaramaiah, but later, all central and state leaders were included.
As the television kept on the roadside in front of the Congress party office showed its tally crossing 120 at 11.45 am, elated cadre chanted 'Jodo Jodo, Bharath Jodo' and ‘Rahul, Rahul’.
With victory looking more assured in the afternoon, a performance of around 50 folk artistes was arranged. Supporters and party workers from across the city converged on the headquarters.
Sayyed Mukaram, an auto driver from Tannery Road who kept waving the Congress flag on the roadside, said he was doing so on his own volition, overjoyed by the result.
Many supporters expected Shivakumar to become chief minister. “Our constituency voted for Shivakumar hoping he will become the chief minister and provide us with much-needed facilities,” Anthony Raja from Kanakapura said. “I am staying in a hotel in Bengaluru for the next few days until (Shivakumar) is sworn in.”
Meanwhile, the Congress’ youth wing NSUI burst crackers on the road and held a symbolic funeral procession with photos of BJP leaders, which briefly interrupted traffic. A scooterist caught in the middle of bursting crackers was rescued by bystanders. NSUI members also held a symbolic funeral for the BJP’s ‘double-engine government’ by carrying damaged engine parts.
Saffron headquarters sombre
At 10 am, a smattering of BJP supporters watched the election result live on a big television mounted on a van in front of Malleswaram’s Jagannatha Bhavan. A party worker who kept waving a large BJP flag retreated quietly to the background when it became clear by 10.50 am that the BJP would not get a majority.
The aroma of food wafted from the dining area. A few women were busy dicing vegetables in the back of the building. A person in charge of food arrangement said they were prepared to cook for more people, but the crowd was low since the results were not in their favour. The kitchen at the party office is open every day to feed activists and visitors, he said.