Chief Minister Siddaramaiah categorically said there would not be a hung Assembly post elections in Karnataka.
Disputing the findings of poll surveys appearing in sections of the media, Mr. Siddaramaiah told reporters that the first round of the survey he had commissioned showed that the Congress would secure a clear majority. “There cannot be a hung Assembly in Karnataka,” he said. The second round is currently on and the report of the survey will come in January, he added.
He, however, refused to share the statistics of the survey he had commissioned. “If I disclose the statistics, the Opposition parties will raise questions. I have commissioned the survey for my understanding of the situation,” he said.
He denied that JD(S) leaders H.D. Deve Gowda and H.D. Kumaraswamy had a “soft corner” for him. However, he hoped that they spoke the truth about his administration in the State.
When asked about the possibility of secular forces joining hands in the State, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the Congress was strong in the State and there was no secular party in Karnataka other than the Congress.
Referring to Union Minister of State Anantkumar Hegde’s critical remarks against him, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the BJP leaders’ culture can be seen in the language they use. The Congress, on the contrary, had suspended senior party leader Mani Shankar Aiyar for using harsh words against the Prime Minister. “That is the culture of the Congress,” he said.
One cannot expect anything of this sort from the BJP. “What can you expect from a communal party,” he added.
