BJP has no chances in K'taka polls, says Krishna

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With just five weeks to go, does Congress seriously expect to win the elections in Karnataka? That’s the key issue Karan Thapar explores with former chief minister and now Chairman of the party’s Election Management and Co-ordination Committee, S M Krishna on the Devil’s Advocate.

Karan Thapar: Mr Krishna, given all the problems the Congress faces, can you concede that it’s extremely unlikely that your party is going to win the elections?

S M Krishna: Well, whenever we have fought the elections, we have fought with certain odds within ourselves. But every time except, perhaps, 2004, we have come out on top. So I’m sure we will make it.

Karan Thapar: Those could be brave words. Let’s look at some of the serious problems you face. To begin with, the BJP believes they have a sympathy wave behind them and given that their vote-share has increased by nearly 700 per cent, from 4.1 per cent in 1989 to 28 per cent in 2004, if they do have a sympathy wave, they will literally sweep power.

S M Krishna: Well, I think they have peaked in 2004 and I don’t think they have any further to go.

Karan Thapar: On what basis do you say they’ve peaked?

S M Krishna: Well, I think Congress party has proved a point that

a. It can provide a stable government to the state.

b. It can provide sustainable programmes.

Karan Thapar: The government you formed in 2004 didn’t even last for two years.

S M Krishna: You are talking of a coalition government, I am talking about a Congress government, not Congress-led government.

Karan Thapar: But the Congress government you led for five years may have lasted its full term but they got badly defeated in the polls. You came back with almost 40 per cent of your seats lost.

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