Bommai says talks regarding his replacement "baseless", hits out at Congress
Bengaluru (PTI): Terming speculations regarding his replacement ahead of the 2023 Assembly polls as "baseless" and "falsehood", Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said his government is stable and will continue to remain so and that he will work much harder for the state and the BJP.
This is the first reaction from the Chief Minister on the controversy, as he resumed his regular activities today, after recovering from COVID-19 infection. He had been under home isolation after testing positive on August 6.
There has been some buzz on and off within the state BJP in recent times, regarding some kind of an overhaul including at the top level, especially after the recent visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to the State.
Adding to it, the Congress in a series of tweets for the last two days has been speculating about the possibility of the state having a third CM in this tenure with Bommai being replaced, and has even called him a "puppet CM".
"It is amusing...this is not the first time the Congress is tweeting such a thing, they seem to have a feeling- there is instability in their mind which they want to spread among people across the state, but people won't believe them," Bommai said.
"More than anything I'm 'Sthitaprajna' (man of steady wisdom), because I'm aware of the truth and there is no basis to such talk, as they are politically motivated," he said in response to a question on the Congress tweets speculating about change of chief minister.
Speaking to reporters here, the Chief Minister said his decision and resolve had become firm from such talks and added that he is motivated to work more for the state and its people.
"In the coming days I will work two more hours a day and spend more time for the development of the state. I will also work towards strengthening the party and we will go to people on a large scale," he added.
Noting that there are two views on the tweets within the Congress itself, Bommai said he is not going to give much importance to them and that his presence of mind is very clear.
"This is all falsehood, the truth is that there is a stable government and it will continue to be stable. I have resolved to work much harder," he added.
With speculations persisting on change of the chief minister, none less than the state BJP strongman B S Yediyurappa on Wednesday had said Bommai will complete the term and no such discussions about a change had taken place in the party or between him and Amit Shah, when they met here last week. Also several senior Ministers and party leaders had come out in support of the CM.
Responding to a question that talks about replacement of the chief minister first came out from within the party, Bommai said there is no need to give importance to it.
Former BJP MLA B Suresh Gowda's recent statement indicating at some changes and that the high command will take a call on replacing the chief minister and other matters in the interest of the party and to win the elections in future had added to the speculations.
Bommai, who took over from Yediyurappa as Chief Minister, completed one year in office on July 28.
The '3 CMs' reference by the Congress, in its tweets, is with regard to the earlier BJP government between 2008-2013, which saw three Chief Ministers -- Yediyurappa, D V Sadananada Gowda and Jagadish Shettar.
Regarding destruction caused by rains and floods in the state, Bommai said reports of damage assessment are being gathered and in two to three days a memorandum will be sent to the centre.
To a question over the controversy regarding the Idgah Maidan at Chamarajpet here, with some groups wanting to celebrate Ganeshotsav there, he said, "It has been decided that the property comes under Revenue Department, so it is under the government, so any programmes or events can be permitted as per the government's rules and procedures. We will decide as per law."
When told about local MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan's reported statement that he won't allow the Ganeshotsav there, the Chief Minister said, "let whoever say whatever they want, it is not important to me. Law is important to me."
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Surat LS candidate Nilesh Kumbhani whose nomination form was rejected suspended from Congress
Ahmedabad, Apr 25: The Gujarat Congress on Friday suspended from the party for six years its Surat Lok Sabha candidate Nilesh Kumbhani, whose nomination form was rejected over discrepancies leading to the BJP's Mukesh Dalal getting elected unopposed.
A statement from the Congress said the party's disciplinary committee decided to suspend Kumbhani after thorough discussion, adding it had come to the conclusion that the nomination form was rejected due to gross negligence on his part or "in connivance with the BJP".
"To be fair to you we have given time to you to explain your case but instead of coming before the party disciplinary committee you have gone incommunicado. After your form was rejected by the authorities, BJP went ahead and got form of other eight candidates withdrawn. This has deprived people of Surat their voting rights," the Congress disciplinary committee headed by Balu Patel said.
"People of Surat and party workers have become very angry due to your action and are expressing their anger in different ways. The Congress party has decided to suspend you for six years from the party," the press note said.
Kumbhani's nomination form was rejected on April 21 after his three proposers submitted affidavits to the district returning officer claiming the signatures on the document was not theirs.
The nomination form of Suresh Padsala, the Congress' substitute candidate from Surat, was also invalidated on the same grounds.
In his order, Returning Officer Sourabh Pardhi said the three nomination forms submitted by Kumbhani and Padsala were rejected after prima facie discrepancy was found in the signatures of the proposers and they did not appear to be genuine.
Kumbhani, a former corporator from Surat, had unsuccessfully fought the 2022 Assembly polls from Kamrej there.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's Mukesh Dalal was elected unopposed from Surat Lok Sabha constituency on April 22 after all other nominees, including one from BSP, withdrew from the fray one by one on the last day of withdrawing papers.
