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Modi, Shah laud Bommai after BJP wins 3 Rajya Sabha seats in K’taka
A statement issued by the chief minister’s office (CMO) said that Modi hailed Bommai for “his political strategy and acumen which played a major role in BJP winning three seats in the Rajya Sabha election.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah lauded Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) winning three of the four Rajya Sabha seats in the biennial elections, the latter’s office said in a statement on Saturday.
On Friday, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Kannada film actor-turned-politician Jaggesh and Lahar Singh Siroya emerged victorious for the BJP. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh clinched the fourth and final seat.
A statement issued by the chief minister’s office (CMO) said that Modi hailed Bommai for “his political strategy and acumen which played a major role in BJP winning three seats in the Rajya Sabha election.”
“Modi called Bommai over the phone immediately after the results were declared and congratulated the Chief Minister for his role in the victory,” the CMO statement read.
“Your efforts were precious in getting three members elected from BJP to the Rajya Sabha. This contribution from Karnataka would inspire further good work,” the statement quoted Modi as saying in appreciation of Bommai.
The statement further said the BJP national president JP Nadda, too, dialled Bommai and congratulated the chief minister. “Your hard work has paid. Your strategies have proved successful,” Nadda said, according to the statement.
Bommai also received a call from Shah expressing his happiness at the victory of three BJP candidates as the party-state leadership ensured the victory of its third candidate, overcoming a tough political challenge in the numbers game.
“This is a big gift from Karnataka to raise the party’s strength in Rajya Sabha,” Shah told Bommai, as per the statement.
BJP is the ‘A’ team
Bommai on Saturday said the fight between the Congress and Janata Dal (United) or JD (S) made it clear that the BJP is the ‘A’ team.
Reacting to the blame game that has ensued between the two parties following the defeat of their candidates Mansoor Ali Khan (Congress) and D Kupendra Reddy (JD (S)), Bommai said he would neither comment nor intervene in the slugfest between the two parties.
“We are not bothered as to who is our ‘B’ team. The opposition has accepted that we are the ‘A’ team,” Bommai said.
Regarding JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy’s accusation that Congress wants to ‘finish’ the JD(S), Bommai told reporters here that he would not comment on it. He, however, said that nobody could ‘finish’ any political party, for the decision lies with the people who decide the fate of parties.
The Congress and the JD(S) would have won at least one more seat had they joined hands, which, however, did not happen, resulting in an acrimonious fight between them.
Asked about Kumaraswamy’s remark that Congress leader Siddaramaiah has a soft corner for Bommai, the chief minister said Siddaramaiah targeted him more if one analysis the language he has been using against him.
In the biennial elections for four legislative council seats, two teachers’ constituencies and two graduate constituencies, the chief minister said the BJP has a good chance to win. “Though Congress is expressing confidence of scoring a big victory in the Legislative Council polls, the reality is BJP has a very good chance to triumph.”
Stating that the BJP was getting a good response in the Graduates’ and Teachers’ constituencies, he predicted a landslide victory for Arun Shahapur and Hanumanth Nirani.
Former minister and BJP leader KS Eshwarappa said Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah was directly responsible for the victory of BJP’s third candidate Lahar Singh. At a press conference in Shivamogga, Eshwarappa said he would congratulate Siddaramaiah on the BJP’s victory. “He played a role in the defeat of the Congress party’s Muslim candidate and the JD(S) candidate in the elections”, he said.
Talking to reporters, Siddaramaiah said that the Congress knew their candidates would not win. “We fielded a candidate because in case someone would vote for us out of their morality. One JD(S) vote has come to us. We had 69 votes, and we got 71 votes, which meant we got two extra votes. Whatever crossvotes that BJP has got has not got from us, may it be the first vote or second. It could be an independent or someone else,” he said.
On Kumaraswamy’s allegation that Congress is BJP’s ‘B team,’ the former chief minister said he didn’t want to comment. “We had fielded a candidate from the minority community. Then they fielded a candidate too. What does that mean? We didn’t field a candidate when Deve Gowda was fielded as a candidate? They should have done the same for our minority candidate. Now about JD(S), they were the ones who supported (BJP) in the anti-cow slaughter and anti-conversion bills,” Siddaramaiah said.
(With inputs from PTI)
