Siddaramaiah asks B S Yediyurappa to dissolve Karnataka Assembly, face fresh elections

Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah called for fresh elections by asking Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa to dissolve the Assembly even as the Congress approached Raj Bhavan on Monday against the government’s ‘anti-farmer’ policies.

“Yediyurappa should dissolve the Assembly and go for elections. Farmers elected BJP based on their manifesto. Had farmers known about these amendments, they would have never elected BJP to power. So, BJP has no moral authority to implement these amendments and continue in their position,” Siddaramaiah said during a protest the Congress staged against the amendments to the APMC and land reforms laws.

The Congress leader suggested that there was quid pro quo behind the BJP government’s decision to liberalise agricultural landholdings. “Did they take this decision for nothing? They've looted crores of rupees. How much will you loot, Yediyurappa? You brought this ordinance for money. The ordinance was promulgated during the Covid-19 pandemic so that nobody can protest,” Siddaramaiah said.

A Congress delegation comprising AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala, Rajya Sabha MP Mallikarjun Kharge, state party president DK Shivakumar, Legislative Council floor leader SR Patil and Siddaramaiah submitted a memorandum to Governor Vajubhai R Vala. The party sought Vala’s intervention in getting the government to withdraw the Bills on APMC, land reforms and labour laws.

Reacting to Siddaramaiah, Yediyurappa said: “I’ve already said on the floor of the Assembly that both Congress and I will go to people on these issues. I'll tell people about everything Congress leaders had said on these amendments in the past. Let them come to the arena.”