Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bengaluru on November 11, senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Monday questioned Modi’s contributions to Karnataka and said the latter was visiting the State because Assembly election is fast approaching.
Questioning his silence over allegations of corruption against the BJP government in the State, the former Chief Minister asked what was the slogan “Na Khaunga, Na Khane Doonga (neither will I indulge in corruption nor allow anyone else to indulge in it) for?” “Modi says there is a double-engine government in Karnataka, but what has he done? When there were floods, he did not come, did not hear out the woes of the people. Now, with the elections are nearing, he is coming,” Siddaramaiah said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, “What has he (PM) done regarding price rise, unemployment. Hate politics increased after he came to power. What has he done to fulfil the promise of doubling farmers’ income. Not even 10 per cent of promises made by the BJP in Karnataka have been implemented.” Alleging that Modi did not take any action against the ’40 per cent commission allegation against the BJP government in Karnataka’ despite a letter to him from the State contractors’ association seeking action, the Congressman asked, “What is then the slogan Na Khaunga, Na Khane Doonga for?”
Modi is to visit the State on November 11 to attend various functions like the inauguration of the second terminal of the Kempegowda International Airport, second terminal, unveiling of a 108-foot statue of Bengaluru founder Nada Prabhu Kempegowda, and flagging off of the Chennai-Mysuru ‘Vande Bharat’ train, among others.
Seeming to be undecided over the constituency from where he would be contesting the 2023 Assembly polls in Karnataka, the Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly indicated that he may not contest from his current seat – Badami. “There is pressure on me to contest from Badami, thousands of women there have threatened to sit in front of my house to put pressure on me, they have written a letter. The reason I’m thinking so much is because, I will not be able to be there in the constituency once a week, will not be able to meet workers on a daily basis and listen to issues and resolve them, as I will have other work,” said Siddaramaiah.
He said, “People are asking me to contest, but my conscience tells me not to; it has been two months since I have been to Badami. I planned to go there tomorrow (Tuesday), but cancelled it, as I’ve other work.” There is also pressure to contest from Kolar, he said, “My son (Varuna MLA Yathindra Siddaramaiah) is asking me to contest from Varuna (Siddaramaiah had earlier represented the seat), and Chamrajpet MLA Zmeer Ahmed Khan is asking me to contest from his…from where should I contest, our party will decide.”
Siddaramaiah has made it clear that he would not contest from Chamundeshwari. As the then sitting chief minister, he lost the 2018 polls in Chamundeshwari to JD(S) G T Deve Gowda by 36,042 votes.
He, however, won Badami, the other constituency from where he had contested and defeated B Sriramulu (BJP) by 1,696 votes.
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