Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday claimed that his "Karnataka model" of development had a created a wave in favour of the ruling party and that the BJP's "mission 150" goal for the 2018 polls would fall flat on its face.
In his three-hour reply to a special discussion on north Karnataka in the Assembly, Siddaramaiah said there was no "anti-incumbency" anywhere in the state even at the fag end of his government.
He listed out the achievements of his government for the development of north Karnataka and rubbished BJP's charges that the government had meted out injustice to north Karnataka.
"The BJP leaders have become desperate as it has now dawned up on them that they have little chance of coming to power after the next polls. Their 'mission 150' will end up as 'mission 50'," the chief minister said.
Siddaramaiah said the state, especially north Karnataka, had witnessed unprecedented development during the last four and half years and said "facts and figures" were testimony to his claim.
The government will announce an action plan for the development of backward taluks after the Mysuru-based Centre for Multi-Disciplinary Research submits an evaluation of implementation of the recommendations of the D M Nanjundappa committee report on regional imbalances.
He sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to solve the inter-state Mahadayi river water dispute with neighboring Maharashtra and Goa.
"Out-of-court settlement of the issue is possible only if the prime minister intervenes," he said.
Interestingly only four MLAs – Jagadish Shettar, A S Nadahalli, Y S V Datta and N H Konaraddi - spoke during the discussion.
More than 100 MLAs represent the 17 districts comprising North Karnataka.