Siddaramaiah challenges Modi to contest from Karnataka

Coalition Government Co-ordination Committee chairman Siddaramaiah has challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to contest from Karnataka in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Rubbishing the BJP leaders' prediction that their party would win 22 LS seats in the State, he said, "let Modi contest from here and he will come to know the reality."

On his way to Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah told media persons at the airport here on Monday that Modi is an expert in telling lies, and he does not do anything else except telling lies.

During his rally in Hubballi, why the 'chowkidar' did not speak about Rafale deal which involved Rs 40,000 crore corruption? He criticises the State Government's loan waiver scheme, but why he did not waive off farmers' loans, though we took a delegation to him twice? Are the drought situation and farmers' woes restricted only to Karnataka?, Siddaramaiah asked, adding that the State Government is waiving off farm loans, for which Rs 12,750 crore is reserved in this year's budget also.

'BSY should resign'

"State BJP President B S Yeddyurappa earlier stated that the audio clip having his conversation with a JD(S) MLA's son had a mimicry of his voice, and he announced to retire from politics, if the voice is proved to be of him. Now, Yeddyurappa himself has admitted that the audio clip has his voice, and therefore, he should resign," Siddaramaiah noted.

Yeddyurappa is unfit to be in public life. He offered Rs 10 crore, ministership, and BJP ticket to poach a JD(S) MLA. It shows that he is engaged in 'horse trading' with a greed to become the chief minister again, he charged.

BJP leader R Ashoka is not a legal expert to comment on the Congress Party's notice issued to four MLAs, he added.

VK sees no wave

Meanwhile, former minister Vinay Kulkarni charged that Dharwad MP Pralhad Joshi won in the last three Lok Sabha elections just because of different waves, and no such wave would work this time, as people know the truth now.

"If I am given the Congress ticket, I will fight to the maximum. Full support will be extended if somebody else gets the ticket. Our victory would be based on truth, and not on any wave," he said.

Both, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi are our leaders, and Priyanka's entry has further encouraged our workers, who have already started preparations for the elections seriously, he noted.

Modi's rally in Hubbali would not have any impact. No jobs even for engineering graduates, and highly educated candidates seeking for police constable and hostel cook posts shows the failure of Modi in creating jobs. He has no concern about farmers, and he is only concentrating about a few industrialists like Ambani and Adani, Kulkarni charged.