BENGALURU: Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member Lahar Singh Siroya said people have made up their minds to defeat the Congress and the BJP can win over 150 seats in the 2028 elections. “People have made up their minds to defeat the Congress. We only need to field good and young candidates,” he told The New Indian Express.
The BJP can win over 150 seats in the 2028 Assembly polls, and people would not vote for the Congress, he said. The State Government is not focused on completing ongoing projects; instead, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is trying to please the Congress high command and the Gandhi family by taking up projects that would help collect money for his party leadership, he said. “He is not working for the people of the state but for the party high command,” he alleged.
On the alleged sting operation row, Siroya said supporters of former CM Siddaramaiah were unhappy with the developments and could turn against the Congress government. The MLC election results, especially the Congress’ defeat in the Bengaluru Teachers’ Constituency, indicated internal opposition to Shivakumar, he said. In the MLC polls, BJP won three seats, and JDS won one seat.
He rubbished the Congress’ allegations against EVMs and the SIR. The EVMs are time-tested, and the elections are being held peacefully, Siroya said. Citing previous poll results where the BJP had got less seats than it had expected, he said the party accepted electoral defeats rather than questioning the EVMs.
He accused Congress of blaming EVMs instead of introspecting on the reasons for its defeat and alleged that the party had become a “slave of the Gandhi family”, sidelining senior leaders.
Congress had now become more fragmented, with different groups aligned with Shivakumar, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and former CM Siddaramaiah, he said. Asked about factions within the BJP, he said the party was working to address any shortcomings. The BJP MP said the guarantee schemes would not help Congress return to power after 2028 Assembly polls. Citing the DMK’s electoral defeat in Tamil Nadu despite implementing welfare measures, he argued that such schemes should focus more on the poor rather than extending them to everyone.
On the State and Union Governments blaming each other over the delay in giving compensation to farmers in the drought-hit taluks in Karnataka, the BJP leader said funds given by the Centre have been used for other purposes by the State government. “As per the media reports, the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation scam money was diverted for elections in the neighbouring states,” he alleged.
The BJP MP said despite conflicts in several parts of the world, the country and its economy were safe under the Modi government. He dismissed the Gen Z protests by saying a gathering of around 2,000 people could not represent a population of 150 crore. Siroya said much before these protests, Modi had called for bringing one lakh young leaders into politics, from panchayats to Parliament, irrespective of party affiliations. He said the BJP too should give tickets to younger leaders in the coming Karnataka assembly elections.
On allegations of dynasty politics against the BJP and appointment of first-time MLA BY Vijayendra as party state unit president, Siroya said Vijayendra had worked for the party at different levels.
TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan
As part of the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, Siroya has adopted 1,000 TB patients, which is highest in the country. This initiative provides them nutritional kits for six to eight months. Each kit will cost approximately Rs 1,000. “As part of the Central Government’s initiative, elected representatives were urged to adopt TB patients. I have adopted patients from Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts, the highest number so far. Apart from this, I have also encouraged my non-political friends to adopt patients, and they have collectively adopted another 1,500,” he said.