SHIVAMOGGA: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday took a direct dig at BJP Chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa on his home turf Shikaripur and said the BJP leader should be given retirement from politics.
Addressing a rally, Siddaramaiah appealed to the people to vote for the Congress candidate Goni Maaltesh, who is contesting from Shikaripur. While Siddaramiah raised suspicion over the revenue and fame earned by Yeddyurappa in a very less time, he appealed, “Goni Maaltesh is Shikaripur’s son, while Yeddyurappa is from Bukanakere. Cast vote to your representative Maaltesh and make him victorious. In the history of Karnataka, BSY is the only one who has been jailed while being a CM. The BJP really thinks that he should be the face of their party contesting for CM?”
Siddaramaiah shared the work his party has done in various development projects in Karnataka. While he said, “As I visit Shikaripur, I have granted `1,800 crore for the goodwill of the farmers,” targeting BJP’s contender for CM, he said, “Yeddyurappa is a anti-farmer” and has never fulfilled any promises made. Siddaramaiah added, “Instead, whatever revenue was sanctioned for the development of Shivamogga district or Shikaripur, was used by BSY to renovate his own college near Sagar, during the BJP regime.”
“He laundered the rightful money which the farmers in and around Shikaripur deserved,” claimed Siddaramaiah as he alleged, “During BJP’s regime in Karnataka, BSY had accepted bribe through cheques.” He recalled the number of times BJP leaders like Janardhan Reddy, Karunakara Reddy, Krishnayya Shetty, Halappa and BSY himself, have been jailed.
Mocking the BJP leader and his claims over being the CM again, Siddaramaiah said, “BJP’s representative, Yeddyurappa, has always shown the victory symbol, even while he was taken to jail and even after being out.” Meanwhile, he claimed, “PM Modi and Amit Shah’s repeated visits will not fetch victory to BJP in Karnataka. Their party will never win here”.