KALABURAGI: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday hit out at BJP national president Amit Shah, who has given a call for BJP workers to root out Congress in the state. Speaking to reporters on his arrival in Aland town to lay the foundation stone for a mini Vidhana Soudha, Siddaramaiah accused Shah of indulging in divisive politics for electoral gains.
Replying to a question on Shah’s plans to camp in the state ahead of the assembly election to draw up strategies for BJP victory, Siddaramaiah said, “Let both Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi camp in Karnataka from now itself. Their camping in Karnataka or their strategy to win the elections will not work as the people know what BJP is.”He also ruled out the possibility of Congress going for an early election in the state.
He said the strategy of luring HINDA (Kannada acronym for backwards and Dalits)voters to BJP would also not work as people belonging to this group know that BJP does not believe in social justice.
Later, at a public function, he taunted BJP chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa’s mission of securing at least 150 seats in the 2018 assembly elections. “As per my calculation, the BJP may get around 50 seats,” Siddaramaiah said.
Speaking about IT raids on Energy Minister D K Shivakumar’s residence and other properties, he said that neither he nor Congress is against IT raids. “Our question is why the NDA government is targeting Congress leaders.”“Are all BJP leaders ‘Satya Harishchandras’ (referring to the legendary king renowned for upholding truth)?” he asked.