Appeasement of Muslims caused Congress' downfall in J&K: K’taka BJP

Bengaluru, Oct 9 (IANS) The Karnataka BJP said on Wednesday that excessive appeasement of Muslims caused the Congress party’s downfall in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). 

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, R. Ashoka stated that he had predicted during a speech in the House that excessive Muslim appeasement would one day lead to the Congress party’s demise.

“I said this while speaking in connection with an incident where supporters of the Congress’ Rajya Sabha member Nasir Ahmad raised "Pakistan Zindabad" slogans in the Karnataka Assembly last February,” Ashoka stated.

“The results of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections have proven my words. The Congress should now understand the bitter truth that Muslims vote for the party only until there is no other option,” Ashoka pointed out.

“National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah had openly suggested that the Congress should focus on the Hindu-majority Jammu region, implying that the party is no longer needed in the Muslim-majority Kashmir region. However, without Muslim votes on one side and Hindu votes on the other, the Congress has been completely wiped out in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

“In the 2014 Assembly elections, the Congress had won 12 seats with an 18 per cent vote share, but in 2024, the party was reduced to just six seats with only a 12 per cent vote share.

“Out of the 29 seats contested by the Congress in the Hindu-majority Jammu region, the party could win only one seat,” Ashoka maintained.

On the other hand, the BJP which won 25 seats in 2014, increased its tally to 29 seats in 2024. With 25.64 per cent of the votes, the BJP surpassed the National Conference in terms of vote share and secured the top position, Ashoka underlined.

He said that the results of Jammu and Kashmir elections are proof that sensible voters support development-based politics and reject appeasement politics.

“Leaders of Karnataka Congress should take heed and shift their focus from appeasement politics to development. Otherwise, the fate that the Congress has faced in J&K and Haryana will inevitably be repeated in Karnataka as well,” he warned.