Bengaluru: The recent assembly election results in four states are being viewed as a precursor to the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, according to former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, he emphasized that these state-level outcomes serve as semi-finals, hinting at their potential influence on the crucial parliamentary elections. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has repeatedly echoed similar sentiments.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a resounding victory in the Hindi heartland, while the Congress was successful only in Telangana during Sunday’s polls. Bommai commended BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP National President JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, for their roles in the party’s success across the four states.
Bommai noted that PM Modi faced criticism during the elections, with campaigns targeting caste politics and Sanathan Dharma. Despite this, he predicted that the BJP would garner more seats in Telangana during the upcoming parliamentary elections. Post-assembly polls, the INDI block has fragmented, and Bommai speculated that allies would distance themselves from the Congress, ultimately leading to the coalition’s downfall in the Lok Sabha elections.
Expressing concern for Karnataka, Bommai suggested that the assembly poll results would likely impact the state. He criticized the incumbent government for attributing the ongoing drought situation to the Union Government, despite having Rs 400 crore in its account. Bommai urged the government to allocate relief funds to farmers from its treasury before waiting for central assistance, citing the BJP’s approach during a previous flood crisis.
The former CM accused the Siddaramaiah government of contributing to Karnataka’s status as the most corrupt state in the country, citing the Police Sub-Inspectors (PSI) recruitment scandal. He highlighted that the state government’s guarantees only reached 25 percent of the population and announced the BJP’s plans for a massive protest after the Belagavi session to address the government’s failure in guarantee scheme implementation. The proposed rallies will be led by those who have not received the promised benefits.
In conclusion, Bommai asserted that given the current national situation, PM Modi is poised to secure another term as Prime Minister.