Karnataka Election 2018: Karnataka will hold elections for its 224-seat assembly on May 12. (File)
After the day of filing of nominations is over for Karnataka assembly elections due next month, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah contesting from Chamundeshwari in Mysuru and Badami in Bagalkot district in north Karnataka said he is confident of winning. He will be up against BJP parliamentarian B Srimaulu, a close aide of mining barons Reddy brothers, who flew in on a helicopter yesterday to file his papers.
Apart from Sriramulu, two other men connected to Janardhana Reddy -- his brothers Karunakara and Somashekhara -- have been given tickets by the BJP for Karnataka polls. The Reddy brothers, as they are called, were at the heart of Karnataka's biggest iron-ore mining scandal that had cost Mr Yeddyurappa the chief minister's post in 2011. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address about 20 rallies in Karnataka to boost the BJP's campaign in a state where his party is locked in a keen fight with the Congress.
Here are the updates on Karnataka Elections:
Police and the Income Tax department seized Rs 42.78 crores in cash , while police and excise department seized liquor worth Rs 20.89 crores, according to news agency ANI. Rs 3.59 crore worth of gold was recovered till yesterday from Karnataka.
"B Sriramulu contesting from Badami is a strategy which will defeat the incumbent chief minister who will no longer be the chief minister. It's a strategy and that's why Congress is extremely nervous. That's the reason why Siddaramaiah himself is very nervous," says Sambit Patra
"As far as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah contesting from two seats is concerned, our question is, 'You (Siddaramaiah) were in government from the last five years. If you had performed, you would have been confident in contesting from one seat and you would've won that," says BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra in Karnataka's Shimoga district
Somasekhar Reddy tells NDTV that 'BJP is mother for all Reddy brothers'. Including Janardhan Reddy. Yesterday, Congress taunted the Narendra Modi government for letting off Karnataka's infamous Reddy mining brothers and fielding three of them for the state assembly elections.
On corruption allegations, CM Siddaramaiah says, "Our govt has no corruption charges. For political reasons, they (BJP) are making wild allegations, especially PM Modi. He called me 'Siddaruppaiya', it's an irresponsible statement from Prime Minister. His image, in the eye of the people, is gone."
I wish all secular minded parties come together and defeat these communal forces says Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on possibility of coalition against BJP.
"I will 100% win in both Badami & Chamundeshwari" says CM Siddaramaiah
CM Siddaramaiah says, "There will be no hung assembly. I am very clear about it. Therefore this question doesn't arise at all. I will 100% win in both Badami and Chamundeshwari. I don't have any strong opponent in these two places."
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah went on to say that Rahul Gandhi campaigning in the state has had a big impact on the youth. Victory in Karnataka will be a stepping stone for Congress for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
On Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah, CM Siddaramaiah says,"He is not at all a good strategist, what strategy has he got in Karnataka? Except for communal clashes nothing else."
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah say's, "Our programs are the gamechanger, I am just a symbolic head of the government. People are happy with us, we have fulfilled promises."
Mining baron Janardhan Reddy campaigns for BJP in Karnataka. He say's to NDTV, that he is "working for the party' after BJP chief Amit Shah said that BJP had nothing to do with him. Three mining baron brothers, the Reddy brothers, were at the heart of these mining scandals.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi would interact with candidates, office bearers of Karnataka through 'Narendra Modi App' at 9 AM tomorrow.
Taking to Twitter, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote, "PM may come & go. Here it is Siddaramaiah vs BSY & you know who is winning."