New Delhi: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday claimed that there was no anti-incumbency feeling against his government and the party will win a comfortable majority in the Assembly elections.
Addressing the media after meeting Congress president Rahul Gandhi along with party leaders from his state, he said, “Rahul Gandhi is very happy with the functioning of the government. He is very happy that our government has no anti-incumbency. He is very happy to know that all promises made to the people in the (last election) manifesto have been fulfilled.
“We, senior leaders including the KPCC president and general secretary in charge and secretaries, are confident that the Congress party will come back to power on its own with a comfortable majority,” Siddaramaiah added.
Asked about the BJP`s attack on him on Hindutva issues, he said, “The BJP has no issues. They are raising irrelevant issues. (Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister) Yogi Adityanath is also raising the same issue. Amit Shah is also raising the same issue. (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi may also raise the same issue because they have no issues there.”
To a question about his alleged attack on the BJP and its leaders as terrorists, Siddaramaiah said, “I did not say terrorists. I have only said they spread hatred in the name of Hindutva. I said I am also a Hindu but a humane Hindu. Hindu dharma means humane Hindu and not hatred. That is Hindutva.”
Asked if he would apolgise for his remarks, he asked ‘why’.
On the other hand, Congress’ party in-charge of Karnataka KC Venugopal, told reporters that the leaders gave an assurance that they would all work united for the success of the party in the Assembly elections.
The meeting came in the wake of a verbal duel between Siddaramaiah and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah.
Siddaramaiah had called the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ‘Hindutva extremists’, while Shah had termed his government in Karnataka ‘anti-Hindu’.
Rahul is slated to visit Karnataka from 10-12 February 2018 for first the leg of the election campaign.
IANS