Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar on Monday, 4 May said the Congress government's guarantee schemes have delivered positive electoral results in Karnataka, while also weighing in on by-election and assembly outcomes across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam, and West Bengal.

Guarantee Schemes and Karnataka Bye-Elections

Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, Shivakumar attributed the party's strong performance in recent bye-elections to the government's welfare outreach. "Guarantee schemes have worked in our favour in Karnataka. Our government has responded to people's difficulties, and that is why we have seen good results in the bye-elections," he said.

On the reduced victory margin in Davanagere South, he acknowledged the contest was tighter than anticipated. "After so much confusion, we knew a margin of 25,000–30,000 votes would not be possible. But we were confident of winning comfortably. SDPI had an impact," he said. He added that the party did not take the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) lightly, noting it had drawn minority votes in the constituency.

Kerala: Confidence in UDF Alliance

Shivakumar expressed confidence in the United Democratic Front (UDF) alliance's performance in Kerala, saying the party had anticipated a return to power there. "We had won the local body elections there earlier. The LDF has been in power for 10 years, and people wanted a change. Even during the campaign, people expressed confidence in us," he said. The remarks come amid a broader Congress push to consolidate gains in southern states ahead of future electoral cycles.

Tamil Nadu Results Called 'Surprising'

Shivakumar described the Tamil Nadu results as "surprising," indicating the alliance had not fully gauged the public mood. "A new era has begun there. We could not fully understand the public mood. Local leaders had indicated this. In politics spanning 40 years, relationships and affiliations cannot be easily broken," he said.

When asked about the absence of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alongside Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin during campaigning, Shivakumar declined to comment, saying, "We went there as per the high command's decision." On the role of celebrity appeal in voting patterns, he said the alliance had anticipated 30–40 per cent of votes going that way, but the actual figure was reportedly higher.

Assam and West Bengal: Shortfalls and Allegations

In Assam, Shivakumar acknowledged the party fell short of expectations. "We had hoped for 50–60 seats, and local leaders had also indicated we would reach that mark," he said. He attributed part of the underperformance to what he described as strategic constituency delimitation, claiming minorities were consolidated in certain areas.

On West Bengal, Shivakumar made pointed allegations of electoral irregularities. "There has been systematic misuse of authority. The Election Commission has been misused to the maximum extent possible. More than two lakh votes were deleted, which has impacted the outcome," he claimed, without providing documentary evidence. The allegations were not independently verified at the time of this report.

Shivakumar also dismissed concerns about political instability in Karnataka, saying, "Nothing will happen to our state. Some people may be happy and some may be disappointed. Even when there was a double-engine government, they did nothing." All eyes will now be on how the Congress translates its Karnataka model — centred on direct-benefit guarantees — into a replicable strategy for other state contests ahead.