The Congress will suffer a major setback in 2028 Assembly elections without outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, said former BJP MLA Narasimha Naik (Rajugouda).

He was speaking to reporters here on Saturday. Claiming that he is an admirer of Mr. Siddaramaiah from childhood, Mr. Naik expressed displeasure over the situation, according to him, that forced Mr. Siddaramaiah to step down in the middle of the term.

“The Congress did a mistake by getting a resignation forcefully from him even without considering his seniority, political strength and experience. This would definitely be a setback for Congress in coming Assembly polls and also a challenge for Chief Minister-designate D.K. Shivakumar to lead the party without Mr. Siddaramaiah,” Mr. Naik said.

He recalled when former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa stepped down with tears and said that similarly Mr. Siddaramaiah also broke down after resignation. The Congress will face what we (BJP) faced after Mr. Yediyurappa’s resignation, Mr. Naik said.

Mr. Naik expressed confidence of winning the 2028 elections. “We will form a government without any doubt,” he added.