<p class="bodytext">Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said that the Congress party would win both the bypolls - Bagalkot and Davangere South - and that the party will win the 2028 Assembly polls and retain power.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Addressing an election rally at Bevinamatti, Siddaramaiah rubbished the BJP’s charge that the Congress was misusing power and money to win the bypolls. “The BJP is unmatched in telling lies. I do not react much to the BJP. They are making false charges out of fear of losing bypolls. Their allegations on borrowing, empty coffers and on stalled works have no substance,” the CM said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">What did they do for Dalits, farmers and the poor when their party was in power for nine years? They drew blank on development and welfare programmes. Hence, they are spreading lies, he charged.</p>.'I'm not a helpless CM': Siddaramaiah rejects BJP's charge; says state govt neither derailed nor unempathetic.<p class="bodytext">Siddaramaiah asserted that the borrowings and fiscal deficit are within the limits of the Karnataka Fiscal Responsibility Act. “We couldn’t present a revenue surplus budget due to the Centre’s GST rationalisation. Because of which we fell short on tax collection by Rs 10,000 crore. Also, the Centre did not release Rs 15,000 crore under Jal Jeevan Mission,” he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Speaking to reporters, the chief minister accused the BJP of adopting double standards by roping in ousted MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal to campaign for its Bagalkot nominee Veeranna Charantimath.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The BJP, having realised that they would lose the election, brought back the leaders they had expelled for campaigning. The BJP had expelled him (Yatnal) and now they’ve brought him to campaign for its candidate. Isn’t this a double standard?, the CM questioned.</p>
<p class="bodytext">Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said that the Congress party would win both the bypolls - Bagalkot and Davangere South - and that the party will win the 2028 Assembly polls and retain power.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Addressing an election rally at Bevinamatti, Siddaramaiah rubbished the BJP’s charge that the Congress was misusing power and money to win the bypolls. “The BJP is unmatched in telling lies. I do not react much to the BJP. They are making false charges out of fear of losing bypolls. Their allegations on borrowing, empty coffers and on stalled works have no substance,” the CM said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">What did they do for Dalits, farmers and the poor when their party was in power for nine years? They drew blank on development and welfare programmes. Hence, they are spreading lies, he charged.</p>.'I'm not a helpless CM': Siddaramaiah rejects BJP's charge; says state govt neither derailed nor unempathetic.<p class="bodytext">Siddaramaiah asserted that the borrowings and fiscal deficit are within the limits of the Karnataka Fiscal Responsibility Act. “We couldn’t present a revenue surplus budget due to the Centre’s GST rationalisation. Because of which we fell short on tax collection by Rs 10,000 crore. Also, the Centre did not release Rs 15,000 crore under Jal Jeevan Mission,” he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Speaking to reporters, the chief minister accused the BJP of adopting double standards by roping in ousted MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal to campaign for its Bagalkot nominee Veeranna Charantimath.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The BJP, having realised that they would lose the election, brought back the leaders they had expelled for campaigning. The BJP had expelled him (Yatnal) and now they’ve brought him to campaign for its candidate. Isn’t this a double standard?, the CM questioned.</p>
