Former Chief Minister and veteran BJP leader S.M. Krishna on Tuesday said he supported Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s actions even while he was in the Congress party, stating that Mr. Modi was committed towards developing the country and fighting terrorism.
Mr. Krishna was speaking at the BJP rally at the Maharaja College grounds before Mr. Modi arrived to deliver his speech.
The former Chief Minister said he supported Mr. Modi over his demonetisation decision and the surgical strike in PoK while he was still in the Congress party. “Modi is behind the change of opinion towards the country,” he maintained.
Mr. Krishna said the Balakot air strikes in retaliation for Pulwama attack were appreciated worldwide. “Mr. Modi’s biggest contribution in my personal view was providing a corruption-free governance for five years.”
Mr. Krishna expressed confidence that Mr. Modi will get re-elected for the second term.
‘Cracks in coalition’
Launching a scathing attack on the Congress and JD(S), BJP candidate in Chamarajnagar V. Sreenivas Prasad said it is not the coalition versus the BJP in the elections in the State but it is between Congress and the JD(S). There are cracks within the coalition with rebellion among the party workers in some seats, including Tumakuru, Mandya, Hassan and Mysuru, he alleged.
Mr. Prasad expressed confidence that the BJP will win over 300 seats and return to power under the leadership of Mr. Modi for the second term since people believe him and want a stable government.
Taking a dig at former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Mr. Prasad said the Congress seat tally plunged to 78 in the last Assembly elections and Mr. Siddaramaiah, who was dreaming of becoming the Chief Minister again, suffered a humiliating defeat in his home district.
BJP candidate for Mysuru Pratap Simha lashed out at Mr. Siddaramaiah and alleged that he was knocking on the doors of his opponents after allegedly ditching them while they were with him in the past.
In his speech, BJP State President B.S. Yeddyurappa also hit out at Mr. Siddaramaiah for calling himself the leader of the backward classes.
He alleged that the H.D. Kumaraswamy government has betrayed the farmers by not waiving crop loans as promised.
Some of the Congress candidates including K.H. Muniyappa and Mallikarjuna Kharge will suffer defeats in the elections, he predicted.