Shah attacks Cong govt in Karnataka for vote-bank politics, corruption

The State BJP leaders embarked on a 75-day rath yatra here on Thursday, with a pledge to capture power in the 2018 Assembly election in Karnataka, even as party national president Amit Shah attacked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for "vote-bank politics".

"Karnataka celebrated Rajyotsava on November 1. But Siddaramaiah was more interested in celebrating Tipu Jayanti on November 10," Shah charged after launching the Nava Karnataka Parivarthan Nirmana Yatra amid a crowd which fell far short of BJP expectations.

Shah's attack onSiddaramaiah, ahead of BJP trying out its time-tested 'rath-yatra politics,' appeared a pre-determined bid to woo voters in poll-bound Karnataka.

"Siddaramaiah, by celebrating Tipu Jayanti, is indulging in vote-bank politics, which will do no good to the people. More than 10 RSS workers have been murdered in the last four years. Cases against SDPI, which is behind these murders, have been withdrawn. I want an answer from Siddaramaiah for this?" Shah demanded.

The BJP has been opposing Tipu Jayanti as it considers the former ruler of Mysore "anti-Hindu"and "anti-Kannada". The party, however, had to face embarrassment recently when President Ram Nath Kovind hailed Tipu Sultan as a hero.

Shah also used the "corruption plank"to continue his all- out attack on the state government. "The Modi government enhanced grants to the state over the last three years by Rs 1.3 lakh crore. However, these grants have not reached the people as the state government is rooted in corruption," Shah charged.

'Vote for BJP'

He charged that the Siddaramaiah government had broken all records in corruption. "This is a government where ministers face allegations, where unaccounted money and diaries are seized. But no resignation is sought. That is because Siddaramaiah is scared that if he demands their resignation, they will expose the truth," Shah said. He said the time has come to root out the "corrupt Congress government" and install a BJPgovernment with BSYeddyurappa as the chief minister.

Yeddyurappa said the Parivartan yatra is a step towards ushering in a total transformation of Karnataka. He said the war against Congress had started. "For a political party, election is war. We have to win at least 150 seats in the Assembly polls and for that we have to start working from the booth level,"Yeddyurappa said.