Poll strategies of Modi, Shah will not affect Congress: Siddaramaiah

Let Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president Amit Shah or anybody else come and stay in Bengaluru, the Congress will not be affected by it, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said.

Speaking to reporters at a helipad in Aland, he said no matter whatever strategies Modi and Shah devise in Bengaluru ahead of the ensuing Assembly elections, the Congress will not be affected by them. The BJP is opposed to social justice. “People from Ahinda (Kannada acronym for minorities, OBCs and dalits) will never go with the BJP,” he added. 

The chief minister was in Aland to perform ground breaking ceremony for the construction of mini Vidhana Soudha at a cost of Rs 100 crore. He also inaugurated various development works.

“We are not opposed to Income Tax raids. However, we are against politically-motivated raids. The Congress party is being targeted through I-T raids which is condemnable.” Blaming the Centre for I-T raids on the houses and offices of the Congress leaders Lakshmi Hebbalkar, Ramesh Jarkiholi, Govindaraj, D K Shivakumar and others, Siddaramaiah said these raids were politically motivated. “Are the BJP leaders Sathya Harishchandras? Why is it that there are no I-T raids on their houses?”

Replying to a question on who will be the next chief minister if the Congress returns to power, Siddaramaiah said a decision in this regard will be taken by legislators and the party high command and not by party leader B Janardhana Poojary.

The chief minister reiterated that there will be no early polls and they will be held only after his government completes its term. “The Congress party will come to power in the next election with clear majority,” he stated.

Upendra’s party

On actor Upendra’s plans to launch a new political party, Siddaramaiah said there was nothing wrong in it. “In democracy, everybody have an opportunity to float their own political party.” On the demand for a separate religion status for Veerashaiva-Lingayat, he said the government would take action within the legal framework. He said the state government’s job was limited to sending a recommendation in this regard to the Centre.