BRS is 'B-team' of BJP, says Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah in Telangana poll rally

Kamareddy (T'gana), Nov 10 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday called Telangana's ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) as the 'B-team' of BJP, and claimed that there is no difference between the two parties, as he asked the people of the state to reject both of them in the November 30 Assembly polls.

The senior Congress leader also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, calling the former a "lier", and the latter as "corrupt".

"Don't believe in Narendra Modi and Chandrashekar Rao's lies. Congress alone has been and will be able to do justice for Dalits, backward classes, minorities and poor, and give them strength economically and socially," Siddaramaiah said.

Addressing Congress' election rally here, he said, "There is no difference between BJP and BRS party. You have to understand that the BRS party has been supporting all BJP's programmes. Whether it is land related laws, inflation, anti farm laws (of BJP govt), BRS has approved them all." "BRS party is BJP's B-team...So, in this election, reject BRS party, reject BJP, and bless Congress to victory," he appealed.

Congress and Siddarmaiah had called former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda-led JD(S) as the 'B-team' of BJP, ahead of Assembly polls in Karnataka in May this year.

Noting that Telangana Congress President A Revanth Reddy has filed his nomination from Kamareddy constituency and Chandrashekar Rao is also contesting from the segment, Siddaramaiah said, "both are also contesting from another constituency, and according to my information, Reddy (who is also contesting from Kodangal) will win both constituencies, and he will defeat Rao here. I have that confidence." Alleging that Chandrasekhar Rao spends crores of rupees in elections, he said, "it is money of sin, it is the money earned from bribery as the Chief Minister. He is trying to come to power once again by spending that money, but in my opinion the people of Telanagna have decided that he should not win and that his party should not be victorious, for any reason." Chandrasekhar Rao has been the Chief Minister of Telangana for ten years, but has completely failed in taking the state on the path towards development, Siddaramaiah further said, claiming that according to his information the people of the state are angry and are waiting for November 30 to defeat him.

"I want to say that Congress coming to power in Telangana in this election,is as certain as the sun rising in the east," he added.

Claiming that the BJP has no presence on the ground in Telangana, the Karnataka Chief Minister said at the most it may win four-five seats.

"BJP is keeping its hopes on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but I want to say that despite Modi coming a hundred times to Telangana, it is impossible for the BJP to win. In several parts, BJP candidates will forfeit their deposit. I'm saying this because Modi during the election in our state (Karnataka) for assembly had come 48 times, did roadshows and addressed rallies, but wherever he had gone, Congress candidates won with a huge margin," he said.

Suggesting that Modi's popularity has "reached bottom" in the entire country, Siddaramaiah said, in Karnataka, the BJP had hoped to win banking on Modi's popularity, but they were proved wrong.

"Narendra Modi lies wherever he goes, in my political life, probably there was no Prime Minister in independent India, who spoke as much lies as Modi does. This is my opinion," he said, adding that Modi will make all efforts to fool people in Telangana, but people here are politically clever and will not fall for his words.

After Modi becoming PM, the country has become economically bankrupt, Siddaramaiah claimed as he alleged in the last 9.5 years of his rule, India has raised a debt of Rs 125 lakh crore, and also accused him of not doing anything for OBCs, Dalits, minorities and poor.

Modi only does and speaks what Nagpur (RSS headquarters) and 4 per cent people say, and has never thought about poor and downtrodden, the Karnataka CM said, and sought to know from the PM why there has been no dalit or OBC person as RSS chief since its beginning in 1925.

RSS chief has always been from the upper caste and no opportunity has been given to dalits or OBC or others, he alleged. "BJP is never pro social justice or OBC or Dalits. In the same way Chandrasekhar Rao is also not pro backward classes or Dalits." Modi had said Congress cannot implement five guarantees, and if done, Karnataka will become economically bankrupt, Siddaramaiah said, but has been proved wrong, as the government has implemented them on coming to power, as he explained about their implementation.

"Wherever Modi goes -- recently in Madhya Pradesh -- he has referred to my name, the reason is he fears listening to my name, he shivers," Siddaramaiah claimed.

Pointing to Chandrasekhar Rao's charge that Congress' five guarantees have not been fulfilled in Karnataka, he said, "I call upon him to visit Karnataka -- I will sit with you and show you what is implemented and how much money has been released," he said assuring that as done in Karnataka, Congress in Telangana will fulfill the six guarantees promised on coming to power. PTI