My surveys show no wave for Modi, Ram temple: Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivakumar

Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Congress President who correctly predicted the outcome of the Assembly polls last year, claimed on Saturday that his surveys don’t show any wave in favour of PM Modi or Ram temple in the state.

Shivakumar was addressing a meeting of the heads and members of the guarantee implementation committees.

The Congress leader referred to the mantrakshate campaign ahead of the inauguration of the Ram temple earlier this year.

“Three months ago (during the temple inauguration), they (BJP) sent rice grains and turmeric to every house. But I have got surveys done. There’s no wave, nothing. There’s no wave in favour of Modi or the temple,” Shivakumar said.

Addressing party workers, Shivakumar said: “You do your work. We will win 20 seats. The guarantees will win. Even BJP people are saying Congress has a good chance.”

The state government has formed one state-level guarantee implementation committee. There are district-wise and Assembly-wise committees. All the committees have Congress workers and they are required to oversee implementation of the five guarantee schemes.

Shivakumar has tasked the committees with ensuring a lead in every booth. “If you don’t get a lead in your booths, then it’ll mean that you’re not a leader,” he said.

Shivakumar said the committees must go door-to-door and ask citizens about the guarantee schemes. He said the committee members must upload photos as a record of their work on the ground. “We will be tracking it from here,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asked his party workers to extol the achievements of the Congress government. “You need not lie like the BJP. Just state what we have done in the government. That’s enough,” he said.

Siddaramaiah also slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “If there’s any PM who has lied the most, it is Modi.”

‘DKS waiting to come to BJP’

Rajarajeshwari Nagar BJP MLA Munirathna claimed on Saturday that Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is ready to join hands with the saffron party.

“With 40 people, Shivakumar is waiting to come to BJP. If we open the door, it’ll happen. But we’re not opening the door,” Munirathna claimed.

This was in response to the claims from Congress leaders that Munirathna was encouraging BJP workers to switch sides ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.