Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday sought a full majority to the BJP in the upcoming Assembly elections, for which he urged Karnataka voters to “trust” Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former chief minister B S Yediyurappa.
“Trust PM Modi once and trust Yediyurappa once... we will give a government that will make Karnataka corruption-free and the number one state in southern India,” Shah said at the ‘Vijay Sankalp Yatra’ in Sandur, where he referred to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai only once.
Bommai was not present at the event.
Shah’s appeal signifies the BJP’s dependence on Yediyurappa though the Lingayat strongman is not contesting polls.
Shah’s projection of the Modi-Yediyurappa combo came a day after the four-time CM delivered his farewell speech in the Assembly, vowing to work towards bringing the BJP back to power.
Shah’s promise of a clean government comes in the wake of corruption allegations against the BJP government, particularly the ‘40% commission’ charge around which the Congress has built an entire campaign. Keeping up his attack on the Opposition, Shah said every vote cast to the JD(S) will go to the Congress and every vote to the Congress will strengthen the ‘ATM’ government of Siddaramaiah.
The BJP hopes Shah’s Sandur rally will boost the party’s prospects in the Kalyana Karnataka region that has 40 Assembly segments, especially amid concerns that MLAs are facing heavy anti-incumbency.
Published 23 February 2023, 10:58 IST