Bengaluru, June 8 (Reporter) In a candid assessment of the Karnataka Congress' performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections, MLA HC Balakrishna on Saturday said the party's guarantee schemes failed to translate into electoral gains. Speaking to the media, Balakrishna cited various reasons for the defeat, highlighting that the electorate deemed their guarantees unnecessary. He deferred the decision on the continuation of these schemes to the Cabinet. Balakrishna, addressing the media, remarked, "Our defeat stems from various factors. The guarantee schemes failed to resonate with voters, indicating their perceived redundancy. Whether to persist with or halt these schemes is not within my purview to decide." The Congress MLA acknowledged the voters' preference for the BJP in Bengaluru Rural, attributing it to the appeal of new faces, reminiscent of historical defeats suffered by prominent leaders like Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He noted Prime Minister Modi's initial setback during the counting process. Reflecting on the role of Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar in previous victories, Balakrishna said this time he failed to secure a win for his brother. In a parallel sentiment, Ramnagar Congress MLA Iqbal Hussain lamented the lack of support from women voters in the elections, particularly noting the unexpected defeat in Bengaluru Rural. Hussain expressed optimism that voters would realise the party's value in the coming months. The Karnataka Congress, facing a challenging electoral landscape, managed to secure only nine out of the total 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state...////...