Karnataka LoP R Ashoka dismisses CM Siddaramaiah’s ‘Operation Kamala’ claim

Dismissing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s assertion that the BJP was offering Rs 50 crore each to ruling Congress MLAs to switch sides ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka stated on Saturday that his party has not made any such offers to the rival camp.

Speaking to ANI, the LoP said, “The Congress is facing defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, which is why he (Siddaramaiah) is trying to divert public attention by making such baseless claims. He has concocted this ‘Operation Kamala’ to deceive the people. We have no intention to destabilize this government. In fact, they are driving their own government towards ruin. We have not made any offer to any Congress MLA. There are no such operations from our side.”

Meanwhile, the BJP’s state chief BY Vijayendra inaugurated and opened a dedicated media center of the party as part of the Lok Sabha election preparation.

“‘Once again Modi’ are not only the words of BJP workers. People of India want Modi as PM. His popularity is rising by the day. People across the length and breadth of the country believe in Modi. His vision is the development of India. Karnataka is South India’s gateway to the BJP,” Vijayendra said.

The BJP chief also remarked that Congress does not have candidates in Karnataka for the Lok Sabha election as JDS is also with his party.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress and JDS fought together but were still defeated by the BJP. The BJP had won a record 25 seats while the Congress and JD-S had won just one seat each.

Yesterday, BJP leader and former Chief Minister of Karnataka, Basavaraj Bommai, stated that the party aims to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister again.

Addressing party members in Hubballi, Bommai said, “We are on the battlefield and we must see only the target and not who is on the left or right side. We aim to make Modi PM again, and to achieve that, we must vote for Pralhad Joshi, who is the BJP candidate from Dharwad constituency.”

Bommai was campaigning for Joshi, who is contesting from the Dharwad constituency for BJP in Hubballi.

“I have said this many times; that’s why I am contesting. Modi must become the PM to provide shelter for all. Joshi has worked efficiently as the minister and brought a good name for all. He has done what no other MP has done in the past,” Bommai said.

Bommai also hinted that there would be two MPs for the Shiggaon constituency.

He urged the party members to work towards achieving at least one hundred more votes from each village than in the previous Assembly election.

“There was a lot of difference between the Assembly and the Lok Sabha polls. You must work for the candidate. My prestige will increase if Joshi gets the lead here. He should win the election by a margin of five lakh votes,” he said.

Union Minister and senior BJP leader Pralhad Joshi has been selected by the party to contest from the Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency for a fifth straight term.

The Dharwad Constituency has been a BJP stronghold since 1996. The four-time MP contested his first Lok Sabha election in 2004, winning the Dharwad constituency by defeating BS Patil of the Congress by 83,078 votes.

In 2009, he won his second term by defeating Kannur Manjunath Channappa of Congress with 1,37,663 votes. In the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he also retained the seat.

The Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will be held in seven phases starting on April 19. Karnataka will vote in two phases on April 26 and May 7. Counting of votes is on June 4.