LS polls: No BJP wave, only Congress and 5 guarantee waves, says Shivakumar

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader DK Shivakumar on Friday denied the BJP wave in the state and said there is only Congress and five guarantee waves.

"A big trend is going on here. There is no wave of BJP in the state. It is only a Congress wave and five guarantee wave which has been there. Congress party will win more than 20 seats in Karnataka... There will be a change in Karnataka. His party (JDS) is going to merge with BJP or BJP will throw them out of their NDA," said DK Shivakumar.

A day ago, taking a jibe at Janata Dal (Secular) chief and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and his son, also the former Chief Minister of Karnataka H D Kumaraswamy, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, said that how come both leaders will strengthen their party if their family members will be contesting from BJP.

"How can Kumaraswamy and Deve Gowda field their family members from the BJP and build the JDS party?" quipped DCM DK Shivakumar.

Shivakumar was speaking at the KPCC office after the joining of JDS leader Akkuroddi Shivanna and other leaders and workers to the Congress party on Thursday night.

Shivakumar said, "The party has reached this state as a result of Deve Gowda transferring the power of the party to Kumaraswamy."

"This time we are getting a lead even in Bangalore South, where we have been losing every time. Along with that, we will get a lead in Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Anekal. There is no Modi wind anywhere," said DK Shivakumar.

Further talking about the five-poll guarantee given by Congress ahead of the assembly polls, Shivakumar said, "Within five months of coming to power, we have implemented all the guarantee schemes of Grilahakshmi, Grihajyoti, Annabhagya, Shakti and Yuvanidhi."

"If our government comes at the centre, we have given many schemes, including 1 lakh per year for poor women, 1 lakh per year for youth, and health insurance up to 25 lakhs for farmers and workers," he added further.

Shivakumar also claimed, "In the last one month, about ten thousand workers have left the BJP and JDS and joined the Congress party.