Congress will be swept away in Karnataka by-elections: Former CM Basavaraj Bommai

Hubballi, (Karnataka) Nov 4 (IANS) Former Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said that the upcoming by-elections in the state will give a big blow to the ruling Congress party and it will be swept away in all three assembly seats, because of its double standards on issues of farmers.

His remarks come in wake of Siddaramaiah government, first issuing notices to the farmers over Waqf property and then withdrawing them after facing public backlash.

Speaking to media in Hubballi, the BJP MP stressed that people are livid with state government's move to issue notices to farmers in name of Waqf property.

“Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, after realizing mistakes, has withdrawn these notices. If the government did nothing wrong, why would they withdraw the notices given to farmers?" Bommai questioned.

Pointing to Karnataka minorities welfare minister Zameer Ahmad Khan’s statement, he said that the notices were issued on Chief Minister's orders, and Deputy Commissioners also confirmed that the notices were issued under directives of Minister Zameer.

Bommai called the Siddaramaiah dispensation, a government of U-turns and said, “they acquire sites and then return them, they loot the funds of the Valmiki Tribal Welfare Corporation and later claim to return them.”

“In the matter of Waqf, they issued notices to farmers and when faced with stiff resistance, they retracted the order. The state government has been consistently acting in this manner,” former CM pointed out.

Meanwhile, the BJP is staging a state-wide agitation against Waqf board controversy today.

By-polls are slated to be held in Channapatna, Sandur and Shiggaon assembly constituencies. Bommai’s son Bharath Bommai is contesting as BJP candidate from Shiggaon assembly seat.

By-polls has also become a prestige battle for the Congress party as it seeks to save its ground from the BJP offensive. The results will also have a direct impact on state politics. The results will also be crucial for CM Siddaramaiah, facing corruption charges in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam and the Valmiki Tribal Welfare Corporation scam.

--mka/mr