Amit Shah confident BJP will win 130 seats in Karnataka elections

Bengaluru Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah said on Thursday that he was confident that his party would win 130 out of Karnataka’s 224 assembly seats in the May 12 polls, bringing down the curtains on his party’s election campaign in the state.

Responding to a question on whether the party would join hands with anybody else if there was no clear mandate, Shah said, “We will win at least 130 seats so there is no question of a coalition with anyone.”

This, Shah said, was because of the groundswell of anger against the state government led by chief minister Siddaramaiah, which he said will ensure a BJP majority. “I have no hesitation in saying that this is the worst and most inept government in the history of this country,” Shah said.

“Thanks to the Siddaramaiah government, the development of the state has been stuck like the traffic of Bengaluru,” Shah said. “And this great city has been handed over to KJ George, NA Haris and R Roshan Baig,” he said. He was referring to Bengaluru development minister George, MLA Haris – whose son was arrested for assaulting a youth at a pub, and Baig, who is the urban development minister.

When asked if the party’s chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa, who turned 75 in February, would be the chief minister for the entire term if the party was elected, Shah said he definitely will be.

“Yeddyurappa will be chief minister for the whole term. Last time, it fell because at the Centre there was a government that was pulling others down. This time we will stand behind the government like a rock,” Shah said.

The BJP president said, if anything, the chief minsiter’s decision to contest from an additional seat in Badami, apart from the Chamundeshwari seat, showed the fear in the Congress. “He has changed his constituency and his contesting in Badami. But if he thinks he will win there, I assure, he will lose by a larger margin in Badami than Chamundeshwari. I can say this because I held a road show there today,” he said.

Shah appealed to the people of Karnataka to vote for the BJP on May 12 to ensure that they benefit completely from the programmes of the government. “Give us another chance to serve you and to work for the state,” he said.

Responding to the charges, KC Venugopal, Congress general secretary in-charge of the state, asked Shah to wait for May 15 and see the Congress form the government. “We will get a clear majority in the state come May 15. He has no moral right to question this government, considering how it has worked for the people,” he said.