Vijayapura (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said the BJP does not know anything other than 'Operation' to come to power.

Taking a dig at former chief minister Jagadish Shettar and BJP state president B Y Vijayendra's statements that many Congress leaders will join the saffron party, the Chief Minister alleged the BJP knows how to buy MLAs by paying them money.

"They (BJP) don't know anything other than 'Operation'. You know the meaning of Operation? It means buying people by paying them money. They cannot come to power by winning the trust of voters. They just pay money (to the public representatives) and buy them," Siddaramaiah said.

Shettar recently returned to the BJP after spending less than a year in the Congress. The staunch RSS man had joined the Congress party when the BJP denied him a ticket in the Assembly elections last year.

The Chief Minister alleged that the BJP came to power twice in the past through 'Operation Lotus' when B S Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai were the chief ministers.

According to him, the BJP in Karnataka has been coming to power through 'Operation' since 2008.

"When did the BJP get a full majority in the state? Did they ever win with absolute majority, be it in 2008, 2013 or 2018? Never. The Congress, on the other hand, won with a majority in 2013 and 2023. The Congress comes to power with people's mandate. They (BJP) come to power through 'Operation'," the Chief Minister alleged.

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Kingston (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and discussed ways to further deepen "political, economic and people-to-people cooperation."

Jaishankar also conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Holness.

"Pleased to call on Prime Minister @AndrewHolnessJM in Kingston. Conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi," Jaishankar posted on X.

"Discussed deepening our political, economic and people-to-people cooperation. Value his commitment towards further strengthening India-Jamaica relations," the post further read.

Also, the external affairs minister handed over 10 BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) Cubes as a gift to Jamaica.

"Formally handed over 10 BHISHM Cubes as a gift from India to Jamaica, in the presence of PM @AndrewHolnessJM, Health Minister @christufton and FM @kaminajsmith," Jaishankar posted on X.

"The BHISHM Cube mobile hospital system, designed for rapid deployment, will help Jamaica during disasters and emergencies. The gift of these cubes is a statement of friendship, a commitment to disaster preparedness, and an outcome of innovation," the post said.

Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday evening, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.

Earlier in the day, he interacted with the Indian diaspora and discussed India's ongoing transformation in infrastructure, human development and technology-driven governance and entrepreneurship with them.

He also highlighted the cricket bond between both countries as India gifted a scoreboard to Jamaica.

A scoreboard was dedicated at Sabina Park in Kingston. It is the home of the Jamaica cricket team and is the only Test cricket ground in the Caribbean island nation.

The minister expressed hope that the new scoreboard would witness many memorable innings, including those symbolising the enduring friendship between the two countries.

Cricket has long been a strong cultural bridge between India and Jamaica, which is part of the West Indies cricket team.

Jamaican players, including Chris Gayle, Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding, have played a major role in shaping the legacy of West Indies cricket in the international arena, contributing to its dominance in earlier decades and its continued global appeal.