Siddaramaiah’s worry sign of BJP’s win: Shah

BJP president Amit Shah, who is in Karnataka laying strategies to counter the Congress, has said the reports of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah contesting from two places indicates first major lead to his party BJP. Addressing the gathering at Kittur near Belagavi in North Karnataka on Friday Shah said this was the “first major lead” that the saffron party would win the election. Those who were boasting themselves are now being forced to change their constituency,” he said, without naming Siddaramaiah.

“This is the first major lead in the first stage of the poll campaign. We are going to win the election and form the Government under the leadership of (State BJP president) BS Yeddyurappa,” Shah added.

There are speculations that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is finding tough going in his Chamundeshwari constituency in Mysuru and planning to contest from Badami in Bagalakote district has sent political leaders of the ruling party in a major huddle. Amit Shah used this opportunity to take a dig at Siddaramaiah and used this opportunity to hit out at him politically.

May 12 Karnataka polls are crucial for both  the Congress and BJP. The BJP  is challenging the ruling party  by fighting tooth and nail. Both Amit Shah and Congress president Rahul Gandhi are working overtime to the hot seat which is crucial for both of them. Rahul Gandhi is using Siddaramaiah to regain power to prove a point about his leadership. Karnataka is a major battle for both of them ahead of 2019 general polls.

Shah was speaking to reporters after paying tributes to Kittur Rani Chennamma, who had fought against the British, at her memorial.

There was anger among the poor, Dalits, tribals, farmers and others against the Congress Government in Karnataka “for doing nothing for them”, he claimed. Shah assured the people that Karnataka will see development at a rapid pace under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre and Yeddyurappa in the State. Rani Chennamma was the queen of the erstwhile princely State of Kittur. She had fought against the British rule, leading an armed rebellion against it in 1824.

“It is an honour to be here to pay my tributes to Rani Chennamma. This place has a glorious past of the first freedom struggle of India,” Shah said.

Shah  is on a two-day tour of Belagavi, Dharwad, Gadag and Bagalkote districts since yesterday as part of his sixth round of campaigning. This is his sixth round of tour of Karnataka to fight the Congress to make Karnataka Congress Mukth.

Meanwhile in another  major political development which impacts Karnataka, the  Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao met Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) chief  and former Prime Minister HD Devegowda in Bengaluru. Rao who is garnering political support across the country to the formation of a third front had a closed door meeting  with Devegowda. According to sources he had asked his (Gowda) support for the 2019 elections to defeat BJP and the congress to the formation of a third entity. The sources added that he would support JD(S) and its allies in the ensuing elections in Karnataka.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief met Deve Gowda at latter’s residence in Padmanabhanagar for a luncheon meeting. Rao also  met former Karnataka chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy. He was accompanied by cine actor Prakash Rai who is campaigning against BJP.

The TRS supremo had last month met West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamta Banerjee in Kolkata. KCR had said that he would like to form a federal front of like-minded parties to constitute an alternative political front against the BJP and the Congress.

The Telangana CM had said on March 3 that people are vexed now and there is a need for change in national politics. He also said that no qualitative change has been seen by people even after 70 years of democracy. Rao also admitted being in talks with others to form a platform of like-minded political parties.