Surathkal: CM launches new projects, warns communal forces, hails MLA Bava

Mysuru, Apr 13: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will be visiting Mysuru on Sunday, is welcome in the state.

"Let him come and go. He is the PM. But he should tell people about what he has done to the people of Karnataka. Let him answer about the injustice done by the Union Government towards the state in terms of giving tax share, not releasing drought relief funds yet and also about the unemployment issue," he said.

The Chief Minister was speaking to media people near his residence at Sharadadevi Nagar in Mysuru on Saturday.

Reacting to a question on BJP's slogan, 'Teesri Baar Modi Sarkar, Ab Ki Baar Char Sau Paar' (Modi government for the third time with over 400 seats), CM Siddaramaiah said, "This slogan is only a strategy to divert the minds of people. Because, according to me, the NDA will not get an absolute majority/simple majority this time in the Parliament elections."

"I.N.D.I.A. bloc and the parties which are against BJP will get a majority in the Lok Sabha polls," he said.

Responding to the statement of BJP leaders that 'even if B R Ambedkar comes, the Indian Constitution cannot be changed', Siddaramaiah said, "BJP is always against the Indian Constitution. Savarkar and the second Chief of RSS M S Golwalkar both opposed the Indian Constitution written by Baba Saheb B R Ambedkar on January 26, 1950."

"When BJP MP Ananth Kumar Hegde spoke about changing the Indian Constitution twice, why wasn't he punished? Why wasn't he suspended from the party? Why didn't they drop him from the cabinet?"

"Hegde was not given a ticket for the LS polls, as he had not done any work in the five years and was only active for the last three-four months of his term. The reason Hegde was not given a ticket was because BJP had realised that he would lose the elections, and not because of his statement related to the Constitution" the Chief Minister said.

Meanwhile, regarding the nabbing of the two key suspects in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said, "I thank the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and also the Karnataka police for tracing and arresting the accused in the case, in Kolkata."

"They will be brought to Bengaluru and further information related to the case will be known after their interrogation," he said.

Bengaluru: Former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader KS Eshwarappa returned empty handed after he failed to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday. Eshwarappa who has rebelled against the Karnataka state leadership then returned to Shivamogga.

After this, Eshwarappa reiterated that he is going to contest against former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa's son and incumbent MP B Y Raghavendra in Shivamogga as he had announced earlier.

“I received a call from Mr. Shah on Tuesday morning when he arrived in Bengaluru during which he invited me to Delhi to discuss in person the reasons for my rebellion. But after coming to Delhi, I got a call from his office stating that he is not available to meet me,” Eshwarappa told mediapersons in Delhi. 

He said "No more talks and will take his fight to a logical end and he will contest from Shivamogga."

Putting up a condition he said, State BJP president B Y Vijayendra must be removed from president post then only he will agree to withdraw his decision not to contest in Shivamogga.

Attacking BS Yediyurappa and family saying "One family holding powers of state BJP which is hurting the sentiments of Hindu karyakarthas and BJP workers."

Earlier, ahead of the seeking the meeting with Amit Shah, Eshwarappa had made it clear that he will not change his decision to contest the election unless the state BJP president BY Vijayendra, son of former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, is replaced before the polls.

Eshwarappa said his fight is against the control of the BJP in the state "by one family".

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi used to say that Congress has a family culture. Similarly, the BJP is in the hands of one family in the state. The party should be freed from that family. Party workers are hurt. I will compete and contest to relieve the pain of workers," he said.

He said the work of those who fought for Hindutva ideology and the organization should be respected. "I'm contesting to fix the mess. I will not step back from the decision, I will pay my respects to you and come to Delhi," the BJP leader said.

Eshwarappa said his son had told him that even if he does not get a political future, "the party should be cleansed".

Voting for Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka will be held in two phases on April 26 and May 7 for 28 constituencies. Shivamogga will go to the polls on May 7.

Bengaluru: Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress President D K Shivakumar on Wednesday said his party is in a comfortable position as there is no 'Modi wave' in the state.

He claimed that the BJP did nothing in the state during its four years rule and did not fulfill any of its promises.

"Congress is in a very comfortable position as far as Karnataka is concerned. There is no Modi wave in Karnataka because Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not left any footprint in Karnataka during the last 10 years of his rule," Shivakumar said in an exclusive interview to PTI.

He said while crores of rupees had been collected as taxes from Karnataka by the Union government, the state did not get anything in return, even during the severe drought being faced in 230 out of 236 taluks.

On BJP fielding noted cardiologist Dr C N Manjunath against his brother and three-time MP D K Suresh in Bengaluru Rural constituency, Shivakumar claimed that Congress will win with a victory margin of over two lakh votes.

Regarding the BJP-JD(S) electoral tie-up in Karnataka, Shivakumar said it is a failed alliance and the people will reject them.

"(H D) Kumaraswamy (JD(S) leader and NDA's Mandya candidate) and all the JDS candidates will lose," he claimed.

On Union Home Minister Amit Shah reportedly levelling corruption charge against him, Shivakumar said it was a political allegation against him.

"There is nothing against me, they can’t prove anything. These are baseless allegations against me," Shivakumar added.

Shivakumar denied any dissent in the party over ticket distribution for the Lok Sabha polls stating that the entire Congress party is united.

"There is no dissent and within 24 hours we will sort it out. But in BJP, the party is burning from within. The BJP workers are going to kill the BJP itself. The BJP has changed (candidates) in around 10 seats and they know that they are losing in the campaigns," he said.