CM Yediyurappa exudes confidence, ‘We will win at least 13 seats in the Karnataka bypolls’
Bengaluru, Dec 08: People of Karnataka having lot of hopes on us, we will win the majority of seats in the bypolls, we will complete our tenure with development based governance, he said.
With exit polls by local news channels and agencies predicting BJP getting a clear majority winning 9-12 of the 15 seats, the ruling party leaders are confident the government would complete its term.
On the eve of counting, Yediyurappa told reporters here that his party would win at least 13 seats.
"We will complete our term. Even people have the same expectations from us, he said.
While the BJP has exuded confidence that the people would have voted in favour of the party for stability and development, the Congress and JD(S) were optimistic that the defectors, who have been disqualified and are now the ruling party candidates, would be rejected by the electorate.
BJP had fielded 13 of the 16 disqualified legislators, who joined the party after the Supreme Court allowed them to contest the bypolls, as its candidates from their respective constituencies from where they had won in the 2018 assembly elections on Congress and JD(S) tickets.
BJP and Congress were pitted in direct contest in most of the constituencies that went for the bypolls, in the southern parts of the state JD(S) was also in the fray, making it a triangular fight. In Hoskote, BJP rebel and independent supported by JD(S) Sharth Bachegowda is a key factor.
In case the BJP fails to garner the required number of seats to retain majority, the state may witness another bout of political drama.
Speculations were rife about Congress and JD(S), which had parted ways on a bitter note after the collapse of the Kumaraswamy government, coming together and form a coalition ministry again, though leaders of the two parties have sent mixed signals on such a possibility ahead of the polls.
The bypoll results are also crucial for Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah who faced growing discontent against his unilateral style of functioning and selection of candidates for the polls.
The poll outcome is also keenly awaited by JD(S)' Kumaraswamy who aims to keep his flock together amid threats of further internal bickering.
If the ruling BJP cruises to majority, Yediyurappa has a tough task of cabinet expansion ahead of him.
He will have to strike a balance by accommodating the victorious disqualified legislators in his ministry as promised by him and also make place for old-guards, who have been upset over being "neglected" in the first round.
Including the Chief Minister, currently there are 18 ministers in the cabinet, whose sanctioned strength is 34.
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EC seeks BJP's response on Opposition charge of PM Modi violating model code
New Delhi (PTI): Taking cognisance for the first time of a model code violation allegation against a prime minister, the Election Commission on Thursday asked the BJP to respond to complaints filed by opposition parties wherein they have accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of delivering a divisive and defamatory speech in Rajasthan's Banswara.
At the same time, the poll panel also asked the Congress to respond to complaints filed by the BJP against the main opposition party's president Mallikarjun Kharge and its senior leader Rahul Gandhi regarding their respective remarks.
In its letter addressed to BJP President J P Nadda, the Election Commission asked him to respond by Monday to complaints filed by the Congress, CPI and CPI (ML) regarding the remarks made by Modi on April 21 in Banswara.
It also asked Nadda to bring to the notice of all star campaigners of the party to "set high standards of political discourse and observe provisions of model code of conduct in letter and spirit".
Officials said it is the first time that the panel has taken cognisance of a complaint against any prime minister. The Election Commission has invoked provisions of the Representation of the People Act to hold party presidents as the first step to rein in star campaigners.
It wrote a similarly-worded letter separately to the Congress president with regard to allegations levelled by the BJP against him and Gandhi.
The letters from the EC to the two-party presidents did not directly name either Modi, Gandhi or Kharge, but the representations received by it were attached to the respective letters and they contained details of allegations against the three leaders.
In its complaint to the EC, the Congress said that Modi in his speech had alleged that Congress wanted to redistribute the wealth of the people to Muslims and that the opposition party won't even spare the 'mangalsutra' of women.
The BJP, on the other hand, had written to EC that Gandhi levelled malafide and utterly sinister allegations against Modi during a speech in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
It also accused Kharge of violating the model code by claiming that he was not invited to the Ram temple consecration ceremony due to discrimination against SCs and STs.
