Karnataka Assembly Polls 2023: Yediyurappa slams Siddaramaiah over promise to hike reservation limit

Yediyurappa also came down hard on BJP turncoats Jagadish Shettar and Laxman Savadi, who recently switched over to the Congress.

Published on: Apr 27, 2023, 08:29:58 IST

ANIPosted by Yamini C S

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Reacting sharply to Congress leader Siddaramaiah claiming that his party would increase the reservation limit in Karnataka from 50 per cent to 75 per cent if voted to power in the upcoming Assembly elections, former chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Wednesday said the "poll promise" would never be met as the prinicipal opposition party in the state was headed for defeat.

Former chief minister and Lingayat strongman BS Yediyurappa lashed out at Opposition leader Siddaramaiah. (ANI) (HT_PRINT)

Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, the veteran Ligayat leader said, "Since he [Siddaramaiah] is going to lose miserably, the question of increasing the reservation limit in the state does not arise."

"We [BJP] are going to do everything in our power to form the government," he added.

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Siddaramaiah, also a former chief minister who is eyeing a fresh term in post after the May 10 Assembly polls, had tweeted, "The Congress party is committed to increasing the reservation limit from 50 per cent to 75 per cent and extend reservation to all castes based on their population."

Earlier on Wednesday, Yediyurappa came down hard on BJP turncoats Jagdish Shettar and Laxman Savadi, who recently switched over to the Congress, saying that they will pay for betraying the ruling party in the upcoming Assembly polls.

READ | 'We did not deny a ticket to Shettar but..': BJP candidate Mahesh Tenginkai

Shettar, a former chief minister, and Savadi, who formerly served as the deputy CM, belong to the Lingayat community which is believed to hold sway over electoral outcomes in the state.

Hitting out at both the BJP deserters, Yediyurappa said, "I call on the people not to cast a single vote for Laxman Savadi and Jagdish Shettar, as they betrayed the BJP despite being entrusted with key portfolios in the government."

"I am 100 per cent certain that both these leaders would lose this election. There is no doubt about it," Yediyurappa told ANI.

The 224-seat Assembly polls are slated to take place in a single phase on May 10 and results will be declared on May 13.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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