Prathap Simha, the BJP candidate for the Mysore-Kodagu Lok Sabha constituency, walked out of his maiden press meet on Saturday, as journalists quizzed him about the controversy surrounding a site purchased in the name of his wife in Mysore.

Earlier, he made a scathing attack against Congress candidate A H Vishwanath. He said it was a “cheap” political trick played by Vishwanath to divert the attention from the issues regarding the constituency. “One could verify about the site with the Mysore Urban Development Authority office. Instead of commenting on the veracity of the affidavit submitted by me, the accuracy of Vishwanth’s affidavit must be checked on how many families he has,” he said, before walking out of the press meet.

Responding to questions, he expressed his gratitude to the JD(S) and a few members of the Congress for ensuring that he secured a few more votes in the constituency. “The indirect support of the JD(S) and a few Congress workers will ensure us victory in the elections,” he said.

Commenting on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, he said the chief minister had violated the poll code by staying in the constituency a day prior to the elections. “Siddaramaiah should have indulged in constructive politicking during campaigning in the State. Instead, he resorted to negative electioneering, which exposed the Congress, allowing people to understand the ground reality,” he said.

On whether he was overconfident about his victory, he said considering the reaction of the electorate post elections, there were strong indications of him emerging victorious.
Earlier, former minister C T Ravi said a post-poll analysis by his party workers indicated that the BJP would win at least 20 seats in the State. “The Modi wave, along with the youth voting in a “secular” manner, will ensure us victory,” he said.