Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

In an exclusive interview with the ET, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he is confident that Congress will return to rule after the assembly elections due in 2018. He said that the revival of Congress will begin from the state and eventually the party will come back to rule at the centre also.

During the interview, Siddaramaiah confidently said that he is not afraid of the BJP President and the Prime Minister or their strategies. He said that he is sure Congress will return to power with thumping majority. He further added that the factors like anti-incumbency and the support to the Gau Rakshaks by central policies will result in a backlash against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019.

Siddaramaiah also projected Rahul Gandhi as the face of Congress and said that he has public acceptability as the leader against Narendra Modi.

When asked about BJP’s CM face B S Yeddyurappa‘s remark that Karnataka is the most corrupt state, Siddaramaiah replied that Yeddyurappa does know anything except lying. He continued that earlier also Yeddyurappa had claimed that 3 of his ministers will go jail and Rs 65 Crore were bribed to him in the steel bridge project, but nothing of this sought happened. Yeddyurappa thinks he is already the CM but Congress won both the seats during the recent by-polls to Nanjangud and Gundlupet assembly segments, which Yeddyurappa had claimed to win, the CM said. He also boasted that the recent result clearly shows that after 4 years of Congress rule at the state the people do not have any anger against the government nor there is any anti-incumbency.

On the fact that no party has won two elections in a row in Karnataka since 1985 Siddaramaiah said that elections are won due to political developments and incidents. His government had fulfilled all its promises and is sure to come back to power he added. Talking about the strategy for the polls he said that he will not criticise or mock any party, he will just put forth the achievements of his government and win the confidence of the people.

When questioned about what will be his move if BJP applies its winning Uttar Pradesh strategy to Karnataka also, he replied that BJP vistaraks are already doing that but the party is alert at every level. He further added that Karnataka is the land of (poet-philosopher) Basavanna. People have lived here for ages in peace with all communities and religions. They know that the BJP is a communal party. The UP strategy will not work in this state as the people will not allow it to work here.

The CM also said that the belief that BJP under Amit Shah and Narendra Modi is as strong as Congress under Indira Gandhi is wrong. As Indira Gandhi had pro-poor policies. Modi doesn’t. Attacking the Modi government he said that the people have realised that the Modi-led government has only been making false promises. Pointing out the unfulfilled promises of Modi Siddaramaiah said that neither has he kept the promise of generating 2 crore jobs a year nor given them Rs 15 lakh in their bank accounts. His policies have not helped the poor, the farmers, the common man, the youths, the women, the SC/STs. Also talking about the Gau Raksha and policies on cattle trade, he said that these policies of the Modi-government have not only affected the beef-eaters but also proved a backdrop for the farmers and leather industry workers. It also received negative comments from the Supreme court.

Siddaramaiah during the interview also highlighted the recent attack on Rahul Gandhi during his visit to flood affected areas in Gujarat. He cleared the attack was done by workers of BJP and RSS and not by common people. He stressed that Rahul Gandhi has 100 percent acceptability. He can oppose Modi and if there are any other leaders, Congress will oppose them also. The party is quite strong and will go to polls in Karnataka in Rahul Gandhi’s name, followed by his name.

When questioned about the recent IT raids conducted at the premises of senior minister and campaign committee chief D K Shivakumar he said that they were just regular searches and the minister is not alleged with any crime, instead, it is a political conspiracy against the Congress ministers by BJP. He also asked that why only Congress leaders were being raided and all the BJP corrupt leaders being spared. During the interview, he was also asked about the allegations on him of receiving the Hublot watch against favouring deals with a business house. He replied that all the allegations are baseless and that the people of Karnataka know him since 1984 when he first became a minister.

Siddaramaiah also stated that he believed, every state should have its own flag and has also put the possibility of having one for legal proceedings. The suggestion of having a state flag was proposed by senior litterateur Patil Puttappa and the CM sees nothing wrong in it also there is no provision in the Constitution against it. Giving the example of the USA which has the same federal system as India, he said that every state there also has its own flag. He further added that even the military units have their own flags, so does the NCC, it is nothing against nationalism.

Concluding the interview Siddaramaiah said that although he has said that 2013 will be his last elections but he feels that looking at the actions of BJP, leaving Congress at this point will not be correct. Alleging BJP he added that BJP’s communalism has increased they are attacking Dalits, minorities, taking law into their own hands in the name of the cow and killing people. Also keeping an account of the mission of BJP of 150 project in Karnataka he revised his decision of retiring from politics, to put a stop to the BJP’s attempts to destroy the systems and policy he said. He also added that Congress believes in democracy and hence the next CM face will be decided by the party command.