Did the results surprise you?

What really went in your favour?

Prasad in particular and the BJP have accused your government of using money and muscle power to win the bypolls...

BJP had earlier called these bypolls a referendum or an indicator on your government.Do you now endorse it?

What do the results mean to the Congress and you?

BENGALURU: Chief minister Siddaramaiah was in an exuberant mood after a 2-0 victory in the bypolls, expressing his gratitude to voters, Congress ministers and JD(S) leaders while sending a warning to BJP and those who have written off his party. At a press conference on Thursday soon after the results, Siddaramaiah said: “The party's 2-0 semifinal victory against the BJP is proof that the Modi-Shah wave will not work in Karnataka , simply because people will never encourage the communal politics unleashed by the BJP in these bypolls."More than the victory, what surprised me was the margin of victory. I was hoping for a lead of 10,000 votes in Nanjangud, and about 5,000 votes in Gundlupet. But a margin of 21,334 votes in Nanjangud came as a big surprise. It suggests how badly the people have rejected the BJP for indulging in personal attacks and stoking communal passions.Our systematic campaign where we had refrained from making any personal attacks or dividing people on caste lines. We only spoke about our achievements and development work over the past four years. Though state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa and his candidate V Srinivasa Prasad were making personal attacks against me and our candidates, we made sure not to retaliate. This paid off and it will be our agenda in the 2018 assem bly poll too.Every losing side is bound to make such allegations. BJP won eight bypolls during its tenure. They had even executed `Operation Kamala' to grab power, so it's just the proverbial pot calling the kettle black. If money could win elections, Ambanis and Adanis should have been in active politics.Even before the polls, we had clearly said the bypolls can neither be a referendum nor an indicator on any government, considering that only two out of 224 constituencies were going to the polls. We abide by it and don't want to take advantage by changing our stand. It's for the BJP now to introspect and assume what the results mean to them.The results are a clear indication that UP and Karnataka are totally different. The BJP looked to implement strategies adopted by the party in UP but failed miserably. More importantly, the results have strengthened the Congress to fight the 2018 assembly polls and are also a stepping stone to reviving the party's fortunes at the national level in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll. Personally, it has rekindled my dead aspiration to contest polls again and lead the party. I am, however, yet to decide on the constituency.The victory has also given you the freedom to take up a cabinet reshuffle and select a new KPCC chief of your choice. When will that happen?I have no plans to reshuffle but I'm planning to fill the two vacancies in my cabinet. I will discuss this with the high command in New Delhi if I meet them on Friday. The decision to continue the present KPCC chief or appoint a new face is left entirely to the party high command.