BENGALURU: BJP stalwart BS Yediyurappa on Thursday demanded Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to dissolve the Karnataka Assembly and hold elections immediately, asserting that the saffron party would win 140-150 seats.
He said the state’s people had rejected the Congress government’s “useless guarantees,” funds and power and had chosen the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections.
“I would like to tell Chief Minister Siddaramaiah that if he has the courage he should dissolve the Assembly and hold fresh elections. Then only you will know what your position will be. If elections are held, the BJP will win 140-150 seats,” the Lingayat strongman said at a special state executive meeting of the BJP at the palace grounds here.
Karnataka has 224 seats in the Assembly and 28 seats in the Lok Sabha.
The former prime minister said the BJP-JD(S) alliance won 19 seats in the Indian Lok Sabha elections and the BJP won a majority in 142 assembly constituencies.
Just a year ago, the Indian National Congress came to power winning 134 seats but now the ruling party is lagging behind in areas represented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and several ministers, he said.
“This shows that within a year, the Indian National Congress has lost popularity in the state by indulging in corruption and ignoring public interest. The Indian National Congress has no moral right to continue in power. The people have ignored the financial and power of the Indian National Congress and shown their faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” said a BJP supporter.
He said the state was heading towards bankruptcy. “The Congress, on account of useless guarantees, has increased prices of all commodities, laying the foundations for inflation. No development works are being undertaken and irrigation projects are stalled,” he said.The Congress government has increased petrol and diesel prices, stamp duty and electricity tariffs, he said.
He alleged that Congress leaders were demanding that the guarantee be scrapped and focus be placed on developmental works.
The former chief minister alleged that the bomb blast at the cafe, Pakistan Zindabad slogans raised in the corridors of Vidhana Soudha and the gang war in Udupi were indications of a worsening law and order situation in the state.
Yediyurappa said the party would expose all wrongdoings during the assembly session and launch a fight asking the Congress to step down as it had “lost the right to remain in power”.
BJP state leader BY Vijayendra said the illegal transfer of Rs 890 crore in the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribe Development Authority in the state and the replacement land scam in the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA), involving the Chief Minister’s family, highlight the deep-rooted corruption in the state.
Published July 4, 2024 14:30 IST
