No Modi wave, no anti-incumbency: Siddaramaiah slams BJP after bypolls

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was modest in victory on Thursday, but couldn’t help taking a dig at the BJP , saying there was clearly no Modi wave in the state and neither was there any anti-incumbency “People voted above caste lines and gave a huge victory margin for the Congress candidates,'' he told reporters here.

Standing by his statement that the two bypolls in Nanjangud and Gundlupet were not a referendum on his government, he however, maintained they proved there was “pro-incumbency” in the state owing to his government’s programmes.
Clearly upbeat following his party’s performance in the two bypolls , he said in reply to a question that he would now not only lead the Congress in the coming assembly poll, but also contest it, although he had said in the past that he would not. ''I had said that I would not contest the coming elections, but after seeing the BJP’s behaviour, I have changed my mind. But the party high command and the legislature party will decide on the next Chief Minister,'' he added.

Not losing the opportunity to rub salt into the BJP’s wounds, he observed its defeat in the bypolls was a blow to its party chief, B S Yeddurappa , who had asked people to vote to make him the next Chief Minister of the state. Also critcising the BJP’s style of campaigning, he said it lacked strategy and only indulged in personal attacks, using un-parliamentary words. “Even Mr Srinivasprasad stooped to these levels and made personal attacks. But I and others in the Congress refused to make any personal comments. All we did was to put forward the government’s work of the last four years and sought votes for our candidates,” he said.

While observing that the bypolls were an opportunity to feel the pulse of the people, he reiterated that they were not a referendum on his government or an indicator of things to come in 2018.

Congress candidate Kalale Keshavamurthy, who won Nanjanagud, being greeted by Congress leaders in Nanjanagud on Thursday. (Photo: KPN)

While thanking JD(S) supremo, H D Deve Gowda and its state chief H D Kumaraswamy as well as the party’s Chamarajnagar and Mysuru district presidents and party workers for helping the Congress in the bypolls, the Chief Minister ruled out any truck with the party in assembly polls, saying the Congress would go it alone.

Asked for his comments on the Congress’s nationwide campaign on tampering of EVMs, Mr Siddaramaiah asserted that the EVMs used in the two bypolls were not tampered with.

Poll points
Advantage Siddu

• Clearly proved that he is an AHINDA leader and has over 60 per cent of voters under his command
• Congress can easily rely on him to face the 2018 assembly polls
• His popular schemes like Anna Bhagya seems to have reached the targetted groups
• He is sure to dominate the candidate selection process in 2018

Congress priorities

• Give more freedom to the CM to decide on party matters
• Instead of suspecting him to be an outsider, oldtimers should rally around him and strengthen his hands

Message for Yeddyurappa

• The BJP chief must realise he is not accepted among OBCs and a large chunk of Dalits
• He could not take others into confidence while strategising for the by-polls
• It’s time he gave up his hate campaign and his speeches targeting the CM

What BJP should take note of

• Issue based campaigns matter, not individual-centric attacks
• Find credible leaders from OBCs and Dalits to connect with community voters
• Bringing leaders from other parties will not automatically guarantee transfer of votes of their communities