The Chief Minister of Karnataka, Basavaraj Bommai, has expressed confidence in his party’s ability to retain power with a “comfortable majority” in the upcoming Assembly elections on May 10. He has dismissed pre-poll surveys that give the opposition Congress an edge and claims that the BJP will not require the support of the JD(S).
Bommai has also stated that former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who defected to the Congress, will lose this time. In contrast, the 14 defectors who helped the BJP topple the Congress-JD(S) government in 2019 will win from their respective segments.
Bommai alleges that the Congress has taken the election discourse to a “very low level” and challenged the party’s charge of 40% commission against his government. He challenged the press, opposition, and contractors’ association to show one case against his government, which he will answer.
Regarding caste-based quotas, he said that internal reservation under OBCs and other things were a long-pending demand, and “I have addressed” them. He also mentioned that the state government created two new categories of OBCs to include Lingayats and Vokkaligas to provide the benefits of reservation.
Bommai is seeking re-election for the fourth consecutive time from the Shiggaon constituency in Haveri district. He expressed confidence that he will win despite the triangular fight with the JD(S) candidate. He highlighted development works undertaken in Shiggaon and claimed that all village roads are concrete, and village to field roads are tar (bitumen-topped) roads, which no other constituency has.