Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has rejected pre-poll surveys indicating that the opposition Congress may have an edge in the upcoming state Assembly elections on May 10.
In an interview with PTI, Bommai expressed confidence that his party, the BJP, would retain power with a "comfortable majority" and without the support of the JD(S).The chief minister also predicted that Jagadish Shettar, a former chief minister who switched parties to join the Congress after being denied a BJP ticket, will lose this election. However, the 14 defectors who helped the BJP topple the Congress-JD(S) government in 2019 would win from their respective segments.
Bommai dismissed concerns that Shettar's exit from the BJP would impact Lingayat votes, which comprise 17% of Karnataka's population. He said, "Not at all. Shettar's seat will be ours to take. He also said that he had responded to the long-standing demand for internal reservations under OBCs. In order to give Lingayats and Vokkaligas with the advantages of reservation, the state government established two additional categories of OBCs.
Bommai disputed the 40% commission fee levied by the Congress against his administration, saying, "Let the press, the Opposition, or the contractors' association show one case (against our government). I will respond."
He also criticised the opposition for the BJP's failure to emphasise development problems during the election campaign. The chief minister stated that the Congress had taken the election discourse to a "very low level," referring to BJP legislator Basangounda Patil Yatnal's "Visha Kanye" remarks aimed at former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.
Bommai denied emerging as a dominant Lingayat leader after B S Yediyurappa and said, "There is nothing called a second rung." The CM is seeking re-election for the fourth consecutive time from the Shiggaon constituency in Haveri district, where he expressed confidence that all sections of society and castes would vote for him.
Regarding the constituency's water and drainage issues, he said they were temporary and would be resolved later. He highlighted the development works undertaken in Shiggaon, where 2,000 km of roads have been constructed, and all village roads are concrete or tar roads.
In conclusion, CM Basavaraj Bommai exuded confidence that his party, the BJP, would retain power with a comfortable majority in the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections. He rejected pre-poll surveys giving the opposition Congress an edge and challenged the Congress's 40% commission charge against his government. He also dismissed concerns that Shettar's exit from the BJP would impact Lingayat votes and expressed confidence that he would win his re-election bid from the Shiggaon constituency.
(With PTI Inputs)
