Bengaluru  (ANI): Newly elected independent MLA Lata Mallikarjun from Harpanhalli Assembly has extended unconditional support to Congress in Karnataka, the party said on Sunday.

In this regard, Randeep Singh Surjewala took to Twitter and said,” Lata Mallikarjun, Independent MLA from Harpanhalli Assembly is the daughter of veteran Congress Leader and Ex Deputy CM, Late M.P.Prakash. She has extended unconditional support to the Congress Party in Karnataka considering her ideological roots and commitment to Congress ideals. I thank her, her husband Mallikarjun and all the supporters and well-wishers. We will serve the 6.5 Crore Kannadigas together.”

As counting votes for the Karnataka assembly elections concluded on Saturday, Congress got a thumping majority by winning 136 seats.

According to the Election Commission of India, Congress won 136 seats, pushing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) out of power in the only southern state it ruled, and boosting its prospects for future electoral battles.

BJP managed to win 65 seats. Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) bagged 19 seats.

Addressing reporters at the Congress headquarters in Delhi, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said that the Congress stood in support of the poor.”The poor defeated crony capitalists in Karnataka. What I really liked about this election is that we did not fight the battle with hatred. We fought the elections with love.”

“I want to thank all the party leaders and workers in Karnataka. Karnataka mein Nafrat ki bazaar band hui hai, Mohabbat ki dukaane khuli hai (The politics of hate has been defeated in Karnataka, love has won). We fought on the issues of the poor. We did not fight this battle using hatred or wrong words. This victory will be replicated in other states,” Rahul Gandhi said.

Karnataka went to the polls on May 10 for the 224-member state assembly and saw a record polling of 72.68 per cent. A party needs 113 seats to get the majority.