Mysuru: BJP national president, Amit Shah, who is currently campaigning in the state for the coming assembly poll, asserted on Friday that the JD(S) could not throw the Congress out , but the BJP could and “the biggest shock defeat” for the party would begin from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's hometown of Mysuru.
“We are looking for transformation of the state for the sake of its women, youth, Dalits, and tribals. Do the people want the BJP, which is committed to development or the Congress which is collecting commission?” he asked, addressing the Navashakthi convention of BJP workers of 656 booths of Chamaraja Narasimharaja and Krishnaraja constituencies at the Maharaja's College grounds.
Mr Shah , who arrived in Mysuru by a special flight Thursday evening, is participating in a series of events in old Mysuru region over Friday and Saturday.
Accusing the Congress of playing votebank politics, he said while its government in the state did not remember to celebrate the birth anniversaries of Kuvempu or Sir M . Vishweswaraiah, it celebrated the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan “to attract votes.”
He claimed the Modi government had released the most funds, compared to any government at the Centre to Karnataka. “Besides the Rs 79,000 crore it gave for 11 schemes to Karnataka during the period of the 14th Financial Commission, the Centre has released Rs 2,19,506 crore to Karnataka, which is the biggest amount given by any Union government to it post- Independence. Siddaramaiah says the Centre has not done Karnataka any favour by releasing these funds. We agree, it is the right of the people of Karnataka,” Mr Shah said, adding that the UPA government at the Centre had released only Rs 88,583 crore to the state during the 13th Finance Commission by comparison.
Referring to his slip of the tongue on the issue of corruption when speaking in Chitradurga recently, he said, “Everyone from Siddaramaiah to AICC president, Rahul Gandhi was happy that I made the mistake. I may have erred, but the people of the state will not and will take the right decision this election. If I start writing, the list of corruption will extend from one end of Karnataka to Kerala.”
BJP state chief, B S Yeddyurappa in his speech accused the Congress of protecting those involved in the murders of 24 Hindu BJP and RSS workers in the state and urged the people to teach Mr Siddaramaiah a lesson by defeating him in Chamundeswari and his son in Varuna. JD (S) leaders Sandesh Swamy, Sandesh, Ramakrishna and Mahadevappa joined the BJP on the occasion.
