Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi started his election campaign today for the BJP in poll-bound Karnataka with an aim to unseat the Congress from power and form its government in the southern state for a second time.
PM Modi, who last visited Karnataka for campaigning in February, will be addressing rallies at Santhemarahalli in Chamarajanagara district, and Udupi and Chikkodi in Belagavi today.
The Prime Minister is also scheduled to visit Krishna matha ahead of his Udupi rally. PM Modi will meet the senior seer there.
At least a dozen rallies are expected to follow in the coming days, party sources said.
On the eve of Prime Minister Modi’s visit, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah posed some sharp questions to him on corruption charges linked to BJP’s presumptive chief minister BS Yeddyurappa and mining baron Janardhan Reddy on Twitter.
"Dear @narendramodi, Heard you are visiting Namma Karnataka tomorrow. We welcome you to our state. While you are here, we Kannadigas would like you to address the following concerns,” first of Siddaramaiah’s chain of tweets posted with the hashtag #AnswerMaadiModi said.
In a series of tweets, Siddaramaiah assailed the Prime Minister over BJP giving tickets to "tainted" mining baron G Janardhan Reddy's brothers and associates as also declaring Yeddyurappa its chief ministerial candidate.
Dear @narendramodi ಅವರೇ,
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) April 30, 2018
Heard you are visiting Namma Karnataka tomorrow. We welcome you to our state.
While you are here, we Kannadigas would like you to address the following concerns.
ದಯವಿಟà³à²Ÿà³ #AnswerMaadiModi ಅವರೇ
Would G Janardhan Reddy be joining your rallies here? You have given his family & friends 8 tickets, hoping it will help BJP in 10-15 seats.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) April 30, 2018
And then, you lecture us on corruption.
Please end this hypocrisy. Kannadigas aren’t wearing Kamala on their ears.
You first make scam tainted @BSYBJP your party’s CM face in Karnataka. Then media reports that you don’t want to be seen sharing the stage with him at rallies!
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) April 30, 2018
Karnataka wants to know if Yeddyurappa is still your CM candidate?
Raising issues like tickets being given to "rape" accused and MLAs who watched porn in the Assembly", the chief minister also hit out at PM Modi over promises that were not kept.
In tweets that followed, Siddaramaiah referred to incidents of rape in Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. He alleged Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath "protected" a BJP MLA accused of sexual assault, while party MLAs defended the rapists of a child in Jammu and Kashmir.
"And then your party makes bombastic Ads to politicise rape in Karnataka?!" Siddaramaiah said.
In Karnataka, you give tickets to rape accused & MLAs who watched porn in Assembly. In UP, CM Adityanath protects a BJP MLA who raped a 16 Yr old girl. In J&K, your MLAs defend rapists of a child.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) April 30, 2018
And then your party makes bombastic Ads to politicise rape in Karnataka?!
Siddaramaiah also said the Modi government had failed to create jobs for young people and advised them to sell 'pakodas' instead. He attacked the Prime Minister over demonetisation, and not waiving farm loans.
First, you promised 15L to ppl, then Shah called it an election Jumla. You promised jobs, but then advised youth to sell pakodas. You said demonetisation would end black money, but it only brought misery to common ppl.
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) April 30, 2018
And then you come here and call real development a lollipop?
Polling for the 224-member Assembly will be held on May 12, and results will be declared on the 15th of the month.
(With PTI inputs)
