Davanagere, March 24: Former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa has expressed confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will secure a significant victory in the upcoming By-Elections for the Davanagere South and Bagalkot assembly constituencies. He emphasized the need to bring the BJP to power to teach the Congress a lesson.
Speaking to reporters, Yediyurappa stated that the public is fed up with the governance style of the Congress-led state government, which he claimed has an excessive majority. “The people of the state are eager for change. I appeal to the voters of both assembly seats to ensure the BJP’s victory and teach Congress a lesson,” he said.
In response to a question, Yediyurappa noted that the Muslim community has recognized Congress‘s betrayal and urged them to support the Modi administration after witnessing its governance.
He accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of making irresponsible statements in light of the Congress’s impending defeat in the by-elections. Yediyurappa further asserted that the political atmosphere in Karnataka is more favorable than expected. “Our (BJP) candidate has just filed nominations, and I am confident that our candidates will win by a large margin in both Davanagere and Bagalkot,” he added.
Meanwhile, Yediyurappa’s son and state BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra criticized the Congress government, stating that it shows no concern for the state’s development. He predicted a massive victory for the BJP in Bagalkot, highlighting the lack of funds allocated for the region, which he claimed has led to Siddaramaiah’s political revival.
Vijayendra made these remarks during a large roadshow held before the nomination filing of BJP candidate Veeranna Charantimath for the Bagalkot by-election. He challenged Siddaramaiah to compare the development funds allocated to Bagalkot during the tenures of former Chief Ministers Yediyurappa, Jagadish Shettar, and Basavaraj Bommai.
He asserted that Congress would face defeat in the Bagalkot by-election and that nothing could stop the BJP from winning. “The aware voters of Bagalkot have already made up their minds. The public has made a mistake once and will not repeat it,” he stated.
Vijayendra also accused the Congress government of preventing Hindus from celebrating festivals, citing the denial of permission for a peaceful procession during Shivaji Jayanti in Bagalkot. He labeled the Congress government as “anti-Hindu” and called for its removal from Karnataka.
He further claimed that there is no caste division or internal factionalism within the BJP, while accusing Congress leaders of misappropriating funds allocated for Dalits and spending millions to mislead voters. He urged the public not to allow such practices and called on BJP workers to unite for a historic victory for candidate Charantimath.