Karnataka verdict not a reflection of UPA govt performance: Cong

New Delhi, May 26 (UNI) The Congress today said the poll verdict in Karnataka was not a referendum on the performance of the four-year-old Manmohan Singh government as state elections are always fought on state issues.

AICC Spokesman Manish Tewari told mediapersons that there was also no basis in the suggestion that the Karnataka poll verdict would reflect on the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections due early next year.

"There is no relationship between state and national elections.

Elections in states are fought on state-specific issues," he said, while pointing out that the voter behaviour was different even from one region to the other in Karnataka.

In this context, he underlined that Karnataka electorate always voted against the ruling party in the state in the Lok Sabha elections.

Saying that the Congress accepted the verdict of the people of Karnataka in all humility, Mr Tewari said the Party would work as a constructive opposition. "We will play our role effectively." Asked if infighting in the Karnataka Congress had affected the party's prospects in the elections, he said "we fight every elections as a collective and cohesive entity." He also denied the suggestion that the state leadership was not fully involved in the electoral process. "Leaders at all levels were involved." Asked to pinpoint the causes of the defeat of the Congress, Mr Tewari said "we are in the process of talking to our colleagues in Karnataka. When the internal review was completed we will get back to you." When a reporter pointed out that the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes did not vote with the Congress despite the visit of AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi in tribal belts two months ago, he said the Congress won in 10 out of the 36 seats reserved for the SCS and in seven out of the 15 ST reserved seats. Moreover, the SCs and STs in other constituencies also voted for the Congress.

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