Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said that none of the electoral strategies of BJP national president Amit Shah will work in the Assembly elections in the State.
Replying to the queries of presspersons at Uppoor in Udupi district on Tuesday, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the Congress will release its list of candidates for the State Assembly elections at the right time. The Congress is not bothered about when the BJP will decide on its candidates, he said.
The bypolls to Nanjangud and Gundlupet constituencies a few months ago had given a clear signal as to which way the wind was blowing in the State, he said, adding that after these elections, the BJP had become convinced that it will taste defeat in the State, he said. On the recent Income Tax raids on those close to the Chief Minister, Mr. Siddaramaiah said these raids were being deliberately being conducted by the Income Tax Department. “They are searching and raiding all my friends and those close to me. What can we do?” he asked. Asked about the Twitter war between him and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Mr. Siddaramaiah said, “Mr. Adityanath is telling lies. Hence I have to counter it. I am telling the truth.”
On Mr. Adityananth’s claims that more farmers had committed suicide during his (Mr. Siddaramaiah’s) tenure as the Chief Minister, Mr. Siddaramaiah said there was severe drought in the State for two years. Such a drought was not seen anywhere in the country. This had driven some farmers to commit suicide. But the State government had done all it could to help the farmers. “Let Mr. Adityanath concentrate on the development of Uttar Pradesh,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said. On the demand from some quarters about the expenses on his month-long tour across the State, Mr. Siddaramaiah questioned who was paying for the foreign tours of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Has Mr. Modi gone on tour to foreign countries on his own expense or has he come to the State on his own expense? I am going around the State to attend government programmes,” he said.
On former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda’s comment that Mr. Siddaramaiah was talking lightly about him and that he (Mr. Gowda) would show the latter who he was, Mr. Siddaramaiah said, “I have seen Mr. Gowda for so many years. What more is there for him to show? I have borne his opposition also.”
Minister for Fisheries, Youth Empowerment and Sports Pramod Madhwaraj was present.
