Even as exit polls indicated a Bharatiya Janata Party victory in the State byelections, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday expressed confidence that the Congress would win most of the seats. He also said he did not believe in exit polls.
Addressing presspersons at Badami, he said that after the election results, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa would resign. He also said that in the past, several exit polls have been proved wrong.
On government formation if the BJP fails to win enough seats to remain in power, he said a decision in that regard would be taken only after the results. He added that he had never declared himself the next Chief Minister after the bypolls.
Responding to Mr. Yediyurappa’s description of Mr. Siddaramaiah as the “permanent Opposition leader”, the Congress leader said there is permanent Chief Minister or Opposition leader in a democracy.
Criticising Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K.S. Eshwarappa, he said the BJP leader has indulged in politics of hatred by not releasing grants from his ministry to take up development works in Badami and Jamkhandi taluks.
Taking exception to the proposed decision of the Tourism Department to construct a star hotel at the Sculpture and Arts Centre of Hampi University of Badami, Mr. Siddaramaiah demanded that the idea be dropped. He was reacting to an article published in the media recently about the department sending a letter to the centre to vacate the building for the hotel.
He said the Tourism Department could construct the star hotel at any other place in Badami and leave the present building for the centre, which has several students. He said he has spoken about the matter with Tourism Minster C.T. Ravi and C.N. Higher Education Minister Ashwath Narayan.
