Will not go for early elections, says Siddaramaiah

Hassan: The Assembly elections in Karnataka will not be advanced, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday while asserting that they will be held as per schedule in May 2018 on completion of his five-year term.  The people of the state had given their verdict in 2013 in favour of the Congress party, which will complete its full tenure, he said. The CM while talking to reporters here, also made it clear that the recent decision of his government to waive off farm loans of farmers had nothing to do with early polls and added that such rumours were being spread by former chief ministers B.S. Yeddyurappa and H.D. Kumaraswamy to create confusion among people.

On attempts being made in some quarters to dub his government as pro-backward class and pro-minorities, Siddaramaiah defended himself saying he had strived hard for the progress of the backward classes and minorities throughout his political career and the onus was now on him as chief minister. “The previous state government(of the BJP) provided Rs 21,000 crore for the welfare of the backward classes, dalits and minorities but my government has released Rs 85,000 crore for their welfare,” he said. “Not only backward classes and minorities, all communities have been given enough funds to ensure social equality,” said the CM adding that his government had fulfilled all promises made to the people of the state before coming to power and if voters reposed faith in the Congress, the party would again come to power.

On BJP president Amit Shah’s plans to stay in Bengaluru and focus on winning 150 of the 224 seats before the Assembly polls, the CM retorted, “Let him stay. What’s there.” He declined to comment on the exit of former minister A.H. Vishwanath from the Congress saying that he had already left the party. Commenting on Yeddyurappa’s visits to houses of dalits to have breakfast, Siddaramaiah termed it a ‘drama’ since the breakfast was brought for him from hotels. “If the caste system has to go, then, inter-caste marriages too have to happen,” he remarked. In a stern warning to those disturbing communal harmony, Siddaramaiah said anyone doing this including RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat, would face suitable action as per the law.