Bengaluru: BJP president Amit Shah on Thursday did not rule out that B Sriramulu, a close aide of scam tainted mining baron Janardhan Reddy, could be made the next deputy chief minister of Karnataka if the BJP comes to power.
When asked whether it has been considered, Shah said that after the election results, the part would discuss the issue with an "open mind." But he ruled out any connection between the party and Janardhan Reddy. “No BJP candidate is having a case pertaining to illegal mining. Nor do we have any relations with Janardhana Reddy," he added.
Shah’s cautious response came on the same day Congress released a video it claims shows Sriramulu trying to bribe the son-in-law of a former Supreme Court judge for a favourable verdict in an illegal mining case involving the Reddy brothers.
"Do not believe in such fake stings which make rounds now and then," Shah said, dismissing it as the latest act of desperation of the Congress.
Sriramulu is contesting from two constituencies Molakalmuru and Badami in the May 12 assembly polls. In Badami, he is pitted against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Shah also accused the Congress of making desperate attempts to win elections in an "undemocratic" way, but said such machinations would not work and his party would win 130 plus seats.
He referred to the alleged "bogus" voter ID card scandal, saying, "It tells us how desperately the Congress wants to win the election."
"The way bogus voter cards were made in a flat... the way counterfoils of forms for inclusion of voters were found, the way colour printers and computers were found there, it tells us how desperately the Congress wants to win the election," the BJP president said.
Ruling out a hung assembly, Shah said there was no question of seeking support from any party to form government. "There is no question of hung assembly....We are far ahead of the halfway mark.
As per the feedback I have gathered from my leaders and party workers, we are winning more than 130 seats and there is question of seeking support from anyone to form government," he told reporters here.
"I have traversed 50,000 km across Karnataka ... We have experienced people's ire against Siddaramaiah's government," he said.
Shah, who extensively campaigned in the state, was addressing a press meet here after leading a massive road show in Badami constituency from where Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is contesting besides Chamundeshwari seat in Mysuru.
Shah said unlike the last term, B S Yeddyurappa would remain chief minister for the entire term because the Narendra Modi government at the Centre "will be rock solid behind him" to expedite the development works in the state.
On Congress President Rahul Gandhi's allegations that the Prime Minister had launched personal attacks, Shah said, "On an average, if you see, such attacks have been for 2 to 3 minutes, but it appeared to be too much because the media played it or the entire day to gain TRP." "The state election result is very vital for BJP to make inroads into the southern states," he said.
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