Modi trashes Karnataka election opinion polls, says BJP will win; updates

With the Karnataka Assembly Election 2018 days away, Modi has launched BJP's campaign in the state with 15 scheduled rallies; Chief Minister Siddaramaiah says he is not perturbed by the blitzkrieg

Karnataka election: Confident of a BJP victory in Karnataka too, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday ruled out a hung Assembly after the May 12 elections. "There is no way there will be a hung Assembly as is being predicted. We are confident of coming to power in Karnataka too," said Modi at a huge public meeting in Karnataka's northwest region, about 500 km from Bengaluru. Recalling that the Congress had lost nearly 12 states that it was ruling, Modi told the gathering that as that party feared a loss in the ensuing polls, its leaders were spreading lies and fear among the people about a hung Assembly. Opinion polls by various agencies have projected a hung Assembly for the southern state with the ruling Congress or the opposition BJP having an edge in the 225-member legislative house, including one nominated.

"I appeal to you all to vote for a party with full majority. That is when you can hold the government responsible," Modi said. Urging voters to bring the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to power under the leadership of its chief ministerial nominee B.S. Yeddyurappa, Modi said his party was ready to answer for its every action and be accountable to the people. Yeddyurappa, 75, was the party's maiden Chief Minister in the state and south India when it was elected to power for the first time in May 2008, but lost to the Congress in the May 2013 Assembly elections after he split the BJP and formed the Karnataka Janata Party, leading to a division of votes.

The state's veteran politician of the dominant Lingayat community, however, returned to the BJP in 2014 and contested in the 2014 general elections, winning from the Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency in the Malnad region.

Accusing the Congress government in the state of shielding sand mafias, Modi said those who loot cannot be accepted to remain in power. They must go," he reiterated. "The Congress promotes intolerance and violence. There can be nothing worse than attack on the Lokayukta," charged Modi alluding to the knife attack on the state's anti-graft watchdog in Bengaluru on March 7. Modi also accused the Congress of disrespecting former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, which was not acceptable. "If such is the mindset, how can they think good for the people of Karnataka," wondered Modi, as the grand old party had also never respected Babasaheb Ambedkar or accepted his views.

Karnataka is slated to witness a three-corner contest, involving the ruling Congress, the BJP and the H D Deve Gowda-led JD(S). The result of the election will be announced on May 15.

Here are the top 10 developments around Karnataka Assembly Election 2018 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign in the state starting today:

1) Modi urges people in Karnataka to disband Congress: "I urge people of Karnataka to fulfil Mahatma Gandhiji's wish of disbanding the Congress party. You should grab this (May 12 state elections) opportunity," Modi said in Belagavi district's Chikodi town on Tuesday. He said the "power hungry" Congress is on the backfoot in the state and is spreading lies to win the elections.

"Congress cannot live without power. The Congressfears that they will lose in elections and that is why they are spreading lies, dividing people on the grounds of caste and creating the atmosphere of fear," Modi said.

2) Modi says Congress has initiated culture of 'ease of doing murder': Modi assailed the Congress government in Karnataka for initiating the culture of "ease of doing murder", as he launched the second leg of his campaign blitz in the state for the Assembly elections. He also accused the successive Congress governments at the Centre of allowing a handful of people to "loot" banks while denying loans to poor.

3) Siddaramaiah hits back at Modi for his '2+1 formula' jibe: Attacking Modi over BJP fielding brothers of tainted mining baron G Janrdhan Reddy in the assembly elections, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said "2 Reddys + 1 Yeddy was Modi's formula to win election." "Today PM avoided talking about his complicity in"closing CBI cases against the Reddy bros. Instead he spoke"about some 2+1 formula. Here is the explanation to his formula "to win election. 2 Reddys + 1 Yeddy. #2Reddy1Yeddy""he said in another tweet.

'Yeddy' is a reference to BJP's chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa.

4) Modi says Congress blocked development in Karnataka: At the rally in Santhemarahalli village, Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday lamented that all development in Karnataka had been "blocked" by the ruling Congress due to its obsession with family politics. "Where there is Congress, all roads that lead to development are blocked. There is only family politics, corruption and lack of harmony," said Modi.

Further, Modi said that law and order in Karnataka had collapsed under the Congress rule. "When the Lokayukta in the state is not safe, how can one expect the common people to be safe under the Congress government," asked the prime minister. Karnataka's anti-graft ombudsman Justice P Vishwanatha Shetty had been stabbed in his office by a man in the state capital on March 7.

"For the Congress, it has always been about family politics. But for us (BJP), it is about people's politics. People of the state will decide which kind of politics they will choose (in the upcoming election)," Modi said. He appealed to the people to vote for politics of honesty. "Let this vote strengthen our commitment to end corruption. This vote of yours will not just choose your MLA, but will decide the future of the state," added Modi.  

5) Modi challenges Rahul Gandhi to speak for 15 minutes without reading from a script: At the Santhemarahalli rally, Modi said that Rahul Gandhi had challenged him that if the latter spoke for 15 minutes, he would not be able to stand in front of him. "Yes, you are right, you are a 'naamdar', what right do we 'kaamdaars' have to even sit in front of you," said Modi. Further, Modi dared Gandhi to speak for 15 minutes on the achievements of the Congress government in Karnataka without reading from any piece of paper. "You can speak in Hindi, English or your mother tongue," said Modi. BJP's official Twitter handle said that Gandhi's mother tongue was Italian.

6) Modi says there's a 'BJP storm' in Karnataka: At a rally in Santhemarahalli, Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday said Yeddyurappa was the hope of the people of Karnataka and he was going to be the future chief minister of the state. Further, Modi said that before he arrived in Karnataka, he was told that there was a 'wave' for the BJP in the state. However, said Modi, now that he was there, he could see that it was not a BJP wave in Karnataka but instead a BJP storm.

Modi also remembered the occasion of Labour day and said that he was dedicating this day to the country's hardworking and diligent labourers. The prime minister added that he wanted to dedicate the historical achievement of the country on April 28, when all villages in India were electrified, to the workers and labourers of the country on this Labour Day.

7) Modi says Rahul Gandhi cannot understand labourers' hard work: Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi at the rally in Santhemarahalli, Modi said that due to over-excitement, the newly elected Congress president had forgotten decency, since he had not congratulated the hardworking 'mazdoors' because of whom India's villages were getting electricity. Modi added that Gandhi was a "namdaar", so how could he know about the efforts of "kaamdaars".

8) What happened to Manmohan's 2005 promise, asks Modi: The PM said that in 2005, during the time of Sonia Gandhi's government, then prime minister Manmohan Singh had said that he would provide electricity to every village by 2009. "What happened to that," asked the prime minister. He added that the country saw how the Congress treated Manmohan Singh. "They tore off ordinances and disrespected him," added Modi.

"Those who keep abusing us day and night do not tell (you) why there are still 4 crore (40 million) households without electricity. We have vowed to electrify these 4 crore (40 million) households through (the) 'Saubhagya Yojana'," said Modi.

9) Siddaramaiah unperturbed by Modi rallies: Ahead of Modi's three rallies in Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that he had no objection to his rallies. These would not have any impact on the people of the state, he added. Speaking to the media, Siddaramaiah said: "It is a democracy; we have no personal enmity with Prime Minister Modi. We have no objection to him coming here (Karnataka), but it is not going to have any impact."

Siddaramaiah further hit out at the BJP government and cornered it over the appointment of the Lokpal and Lokayukta. "What moral right does BJP have to talk about corruption? For last four years, the central government has not appointed a Lokpal. When he was the chief minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi never appointed Lokayukta," he added.

Further, training guns at BJP chief ministerial candidate Yeddyurappa, Siddaramaiah said there were cases against him and that he needed to go to jail. "There are cases against Yeddyurappa, so he better goes to jail. I have not done any crime. They (BJP) talk about CBI inquiry but don't do anything. The CBI is under them. They have a split tongue," Siddaramaiah said.

Speaking on the Lingayat issue, the chief minister said, "Lingayat it is not an election issue for them; it is so for the BJP."

10) Siddaramaiah tells Modi to end 'hypocrisy on corruption': A day before Modi lands in Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah posed a series of questions addressed to him. "Dear @narendramodi, Heard you are visiting Namma Karnataka tomorrow. We welcome you to our state. While you are here, we Kannadigas would like you to address the following concerns. Please #AnswerMaadiModi," Siddaramaiah tweeted.

In his next tweet, the chief minister advised Modi to end his "hypocrisy" on corruption. "Would G Janardhan Reddy be joining your rallies here? You have given his family & friends 8 tickets, hoping it will help BJP in 10-15 seats. And then, you lecture us on corruption. Please end this hypocrisy. Kannadigas aren't wearing Kamala on their ears," Siddaramaiah said.

He also wanted to know whether Yeddyurappa will still be BJP's chief ministerial candidate when it is reported that Modi himself doesn't want to share a stage with him. "You first make scam tainted @BSYBJP your party's CM face in Karnataka. Then media reports that you don't want to be seen sharing the stage with him at rallies! Karnataka wants to know if Yeddyurappa is still your CM candidate?" Siddaramaiah questioned.

Karnataka chief minister slams Modi and BJP over shielding and fielding rape-accused candidates: Siddaramaiah also accused the BJP of giving tickets to rape-accused candidates and MLAs who watched porn in the State Assembly, while trying to politicise rapes in Karnataka on the other hand. "In Karnataka, you give tickets to rape accused & MLAs who watched porn in Assembly. In UP, CM Adityanath protects a BJP MLA who raped a 16 Yr old girl. In J&K, your MLAs defend rapists of a child. And then your party makes bombastic Ads to politicise rape in Karnataka?! (sic)," Siddaramaiah said. 

With agency inputs