BJP targets CM Siddaramaiah over KSTDC promoting Wayanad
Bengaluru(PTI): The Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation's (KSTDC) social media post promoting Wayanad in neighbouring Kerala as a tourist destination has drawn criticism from opposition BJP, which has hit out at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, calling it "high command appeasement" to save chair.
Congress top leader Priyanka Gandhi is the Member of Parliament from Wayanad.
The KSTDC's post on 'X' on October 28, promoting its two-night and three-day tour package to the hill station said, " Seeking thrill or tranquillity? Find both in Wayanad! Trek scenic trails, chase waterfalls & meet the wild with KSTDC. Your perfect nature escape awaits."
Reacting to this, BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in Assembly, R Ashoka asked Siddaramaiah as to how long will Karnataka tolerate a Chief Minister who behaves like "Wayanad's District Collector and fund raiser"?
"You (Siddaramaiah) signed off Rs 10 crore of Karnataka taxpayers' money to Wayanad at lightning speed. You gave away Rs 15 lakhs to the family of a man killed by an elephant. You announced to build 100 houses in Wayanad after landslide. You used KSTDC, Karnataka's own tourism corporation, to promote Wayanad tourism - Priyanka Gandhi's constituency," he posted on 'X' on Thursday.
Pointing out that north Karnataka faced floods, he further said, farmers are suffering, homes washed away, 12.5 lakh hectares of crop damage, but compensation still stuck in files, surveys, excuses, speeches and photo-ops.
"Where is the compensation and flood relief for Kalaburagi, Raichur, Yadgir, Bidar, Vijayapura, Bagalkot and Belagavi? Where is the urgency? What are your priorities?" He asked.
Accusing the CM of moving money to another state faster than he moved money to his own disaster-hit farmers, the BJP leader claimed, "This is not charity. This is High command appeasement to save chair."
"Karnataka doesn't need a CM who bows to the Fake Gandhi Family, spends our treasury like it's High Command's ATM, and forgets his own state's farmers who put food on his table," he said.
"We elected a Chief Minister of Karnataka, not a Puppet of Delhi, not a Brand Ambassador of Wayanad," Ashoka said.
Urging the CM to release full compensation to farmers immediately, he said, "Stop looting Karnataka's money to please fake Gandhi family. Karnataka First. Not Wayanad First."
Another BJP leader and former Minister C T Ravi said, the KSTDC, which is supposed to develop tourism in Karnataka, is inviting Kannadigas to Wayanad.
"Does Wayanad belong to Karnataka? Or has KSTDC become Kerala? The Congress government is going to pawn the honour of Kannada Nadu to please its party leader Priyanka Gandhi," he posted on 'X'.
ನಮ್ಮ KSTDC ಇರುವುದು ಕರ್ನಾಟಕಕ್ಕೋ, ಕೇರಳಕ್ಕೋ ತಿಳಿಯುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ!
— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) October 29, 2025
ಸಿಎಂ @siddaramaiah ಮತ್ತು ಸಚಿವ @HKPatilINC ಅವರೇ, ನಮ್ಮ ಚಿಕ್ಕಮಗಳೂರು, ಕೊಡಗು, ಉತ್ತರ ಕನ್ನಡ, ಶಿವಮೊಗ್ಗ ಕಾಣಲಿಲ್ಲವೇ? ನಿಮ್ಮ ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕಾ ಗಾಂಧಿಯನ್ನು ಮೆಚ್ಚಿಸಲು ನಮ್ಮ ಕರುನಾಡನ್ನೇ ಕಡೆಗಣಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದೀರಾ?
ವಯನಾಡಿನ ಜನರಿಗೆ ಮನೆ, ಆನೆ ದಾಳಿಯಿಂದ… pic.twitter.com/ZPe5KHCsOf
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BJP to fight Assam polls on twin planks of development, secure state
Guwahati (PTI): In a bid to win the Assam Assembly elections for the third time in a row, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday advised the state BJP brass to fight on twin planks: development and a secure state.
Shah, who wound up a two-day visit to Assam, held a nearly two-hour-long meeting with senior leaders of the BJP state unit at the party headquarters here, with a focus on discussing strategy for the state elections, expected in March-April.
Briefing reporters after the closed-door meeting, BJP Assam president Dilip Saikia said, "Development and a secure Assam will be our twin electoral planks."
He also said that Shah, known for his expertise in electoral politics, has offered valuable suggestions, and based on it, an action plan to retain power in the state will be formulated soon.
“Discussions were held in detail on our organisational and political calendars. Shah ji offered some very valuable suggestions, and we will implement those at the earliest…We will share more details on the action plan soon,” Saikia said.
He further said that the Union minister exhorted the state party leadership to ensure that not only do they secure a ‘massive landslide victory’ but also bag more seats than in the previous election.
The BJP currently leads a coalition government in Assam with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People's Party Liberal (UPPL), while the Bodoland People's Front (BPF) has also extended support.
In the 126-member Assembly, the BJP now has 64 legislators, while its allies AGP, UPPL and BPF have nine, seven and three memnbers, respectively. In the opposition camp, the Congress’ strength is 26, while AIUDF has 15 members and CPI(M) one. There is an Independent legislator also, belonging to Raijor Dal.
Saikia said that the party will continue to contest the state polls in coalition with its NDA allies, which was also favoured by Shah.
Dismissing reports of chinks in the ruling coalition, the Lok Sabha MP said, “As far as the NDA is concerned, we are united in Assam. There could be discussions about some issues on individual party forums.”
The saffron party has maintained that its alliance with the regional parties will continue, and formalities like seat-sharing arrangements are being worked out.
Shah, who was on his second visit to the state within a month, attended two other events in Dibrugarh and Dheamji earlier in the day. He left for West Bengal after the meeting at the Guwahati state party headquarters.
