Siddaramaih hopeful of bagging 18-20 LS seats

Says the pro poor schemes will help us win this election

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaih today said he is hopeful that Congress will win around 18-20 Lok Sabha seats in the state banking on his government's pro-masses schemes.

"I'm hopeful of winning 18-20 seats, day after tomorrow results will be out," Siddaramaiah told reporters here after attending the Co-ordination Committee meeting of Karnataka Congress at KPCC office here.

In the 2009 polls, the BJP had secured 19 seats, Congress six and JDS three. In the by-polls, the Congress had increased its tally to eight at the expense of JDS which lost two seats.

He said, "all our schemes, pro poor schemes....All these programmes will help us win this election."

On Cabinet reshuffle or expansion post the results, he said "after results we are going to go ahead with the process for MLC elections, after that filling up of three ministers and filling up of office-bearers for boards and corporation....All these things will be done."

Giving details of the meeting, Congress general secretary and in charge of party affairs in Karnataka Digvijay Singh said, "We have reviewed the political situation in Karnataka. We also compliment the Chief Minister and his Cabinet for the good work which has been done in the last one year."

He said "we have also decided to request the PCC president to chalk out a six-month-programme for Pradesh Congress Committee; we also decided to have a Pradesh Congress Committee delegate conference sometime in June where we would like to invite Congress president and the vice president."

"As far as I'm concerned they have done exceedingly well, they have scored distinction," Singh said on the performance of the Siddaramaiah government which completed one year in the office yesterday.

Singh said "... CM has been able to lead the state in areas of development, also we are quite convinced that under his leadership the Congress party will do well in the Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka.