"PM Getting More Support, BJP Will Register Big Win": Rebel Karnataka Leader

Rebutting Congress leader Priyank Kharge's claim that "people are disappointed" with the BJP, expelled Karnataka BJP leader KS Eshwarappa on Tuesday said the party will register a "great win" in Lok Sabha polls.

Recently, the BJP has expelled Eshwarappa from the party for six years following his decision to contest the Shivamogga seat as an Independent after his son Kanthesh was denied a BJP ticket from the Haveri seat. Eshwarappa is contesting against former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's son and current Shivamogga MP B Y Raghavendra.

"This time, Congress will not win as many seats as it won the last time. In so many states, Congress is losing. In every state, the BJP is winning. PM Narendra Modi is getting more support than the last time. This time BJP will register a great win," he said.

Eshwarappa's statement came after Chittapur MLA and State Minister for IT/BT and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Priyank Kharge said that the last 10 years of Modi's tenure have been "disastrous."

"I am very confident that the Congress is going to be extremely triumphant. The last 10 years of Modi's tenure have been disastrous for India and Kalaburagi. The people are quite disappointed and this time they will vote for progress," the Congress leader said.

The Congress has fielded party chief Mallikarjun Kharge's son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani against BJP's Dr Umesh Jadhav from Kalaburagi.

Shivamogga, a bastion of the Yediyurappa family since 2009, voted in the third phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday.

Shimoga comprises eight assembly segments Shimoga Rural, Bhadravati, Shimoga, Tirthahalli, Shikaripura, Sorab, Sagar and Byndoor.

Karnataka has 28 Lok Sabha seats and elections in the state are being held in two phases. Voting for 14 seats concluded on April 26 and the voting in the remaining 14 seats was held today.

The counting of votes is scheduled for June 4.

In 2019, BJP almost swept the state by winning 25 out of 28 seats, while Congress and JD-S -- who were running a coalition government in the state -- could only win one seat each.

This time BJP and JD-S are in coalition with the former fighting on 25 seats, while the latter is contesting on three seats.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)