Congress to win 20 seats in Karnataka in LS polls: CM Siddaramaiah

Mandya(Karnataka), Feb 18 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday asserted that the Congress will win at least 20 out of 28 seats from the state in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

He also junked the BJP's claim of winning all the 28 seats.

"We are preparing to win at least 20 seats this time. The BJP is making exaggerated claims that they will win all the 28 seats because they have realised that people will bless Congress this time," the Congress leader told reporters at Malavalli in Mandya district.

Regarding the Congress strategy to fight against the coalition of BJP and Janata Dal (Secular), Siddaramaiah said there are no two parties in the opposition.

"This time we have only one opposition. There are no two parties but only one party in the opposition. JD(S) has merged with the BJP and is not functioning like a separate party," he said.

The BJP swept the 2019 Parliamentary polls in Karnataka by winning 25 seats, while an independent (Sumalatha Ambareesh from Mandya) backed by it won one seat. The Congress and JD(S) won one seat each.

To a question on fielding sitting ministers in the general elections, the CM said whoever the local MLAs and district-level party office bearers recommend will be fielded.

On opposition parties' criticisim of the budget, Siddaramaiah replied that those who are 'anti-poor' cannot understand the budget. PTI