Karnataka elections: After being ‘sidelined’ by national leadership, Yeddyurappa praises Modi, Shah

Yeddyurappa is confident that Modi and Shah's campaign in Karnataka will have a great impact.

Bengaluru, April 27: The tension between the local and the national leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is pretty apparent during any of its public meetings in poll-bound Karnataka, these days. Even rumours suggest that there is a lot of anguish among the BJP local workers in Karnataka as allegedly a few national leaders of the party have hijacked the entire election process.

The BJP cadres in the state are now openly alleging that the national leadership has ignored local sentiments and it's an insult to Karnataka. Recently, we have seen how the BJP "clipped the wings" of its own chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa by not giving tickets to his son Vijayendra and close-aide Shobha Karandlaje. In spite of the latest round of ignominy, Yeddyurappa is putting up a brake face.

On Thursday, in an interview to news agency ANI, the former chief minister of Karnataka profusely praised both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party president Amit Shah. Yeddyurappa is confident that Modi and Shah's campaign in the state will have a great impact.

"The entire country knows the impact of PM Modi. Modiji and Amitji's tour will leave a great impact on the entire state. It will be helpful in getting us (the BJP) the majority in Karnataka," Yeddyurappa told ANI.

However, insiders say that after the poll results, even if the BJP comes to power, 75-year-old Yeddyurappa, whose previous stint as the CM of Karnataka was marred by scams, may not get the coveted post.

Attacking Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Yeddyurappa told ANI, "I want to ask just one question. Is Rahul Gandhi from Karnataka? When Rahul Gandhi was in Bengaluru, the time when the election date was not announced, they called people by giving money. Now, if Rahul Gandhi comes, you'll see how people will react."

Further taking a dig at his main rival, incumbent Congress CM Siddaramaiah, the former CM said that his successor will lose elections from both Chamundeshwari and Badami--the two constituencies from where he is contesting elections.

"There is no safe seat for Siddaramaiah in Karnataka. He knows he's going to lose in Chamundeshwari and that is why he has chosen Badami too. But he is going to lose from Badami miserably. I am 100 per cent sure," Yeddyurappa told ANI.

"The people of Karnataka have seen a lot of corruption. The development has come to a standstill. In almost all areas he (Siddaramaiah) has cheated the people of the state. People are fed up. In the upcoming elections, the BJP is going to get a majority," added Yeddyurappa.

The elections to the 224-member Assembly in Karnataka are scheduled on May 12. The results will be declared on May 15.