Former chief minister S M Krishna, who joined the BJP recently, on Monday said the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government was the worst in the history of the state, on the basis of his experience of 55 years in politics.

Speaking to reporters before taking part in the bypoll campaign here, he questioned whether the Congress really existed in the country.

“The Congress government has no proper vision about the development of the state. In the four-year tenure so far, the state could have been developed better by continuing the works of the previous governments and with proper planning,” he pointed out.

Urging the voters to support BJP candidate V Srinivas Prasad, who quit the Congress after he was dropped from Siddaramaiah’s Cabinet, Krishna said, Prasad was a dignified person and he came out of the Congress when leaders there hurt his self-respect. A majority of the politicians opt for the easy way, but Prasad has selected a very tough path to prove himself, Krishna said.

Clarifying about his move to join the BJP, Krishna said it was for the future of the country and not for his personal gains.

“It was a question of my self-respect, similar to Srinivas Prasad. Many more senior leaders in the Congress are disappointed,” he said.

Comparing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership to that of Barack Obama, former president of the US, and other foreign leaders, he said, Modi had the ability to take the country forward, to transform India from a developing country to a developed nation.

Appreciating the style of functioning of former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, he said, “Yeddyurappa is working hard, day and night. I am awed by the discipline and organisational skills in the BJP.”

Srinivas Prasad and BJP leaders B N Bacchegowda,  V Somanna, S A Ramdas, R Ashoka and Shobha Karandlaje were present.