Bengaluru, April 7 (AHN) Senior BJP leader and opposition leader in the Karnataka Assembly, R. Ashoka, said that the forthcoming bye-election will witness a contest between the poor and the rich, and the Congress will lose.

Speaking at a press conference in Bengaluru, he said that in Davanagere and Bagalkot, the election is being fought between the poor and the rich. Since Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said “Make the poor win,” the BJP has fielded poor candidates. It can be noted that the BJP has fielded a porter's son as a candidate hailing from the oppressed class of Davanagere.

"In Davanagere, if the Congress candidate wins, it is understood that Muslims will not get opportunities in the future, and therefore, Muslims are opposing the Congress party. Minister Zameer Ahmad Khan has run away without campaigning in his constituency, and there are differences of opinion about him," Ashoka stated.

Ashoka said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who talks about backward classes uniting, has not given even a single ticket to backward class candidates.

In Davanagere, the BJP has given a ticket to an ordinary person, whereas Congress has given tickets to powerful and influential people. In Bagalkot, there is a very good opinion about the BJP candidate. Congress has given space to dynastic politics in both places. Therefore, the BJP has a strong chance of winning in both constituencies.

Congress leaders have indulged in rowdyism in Bagalkot, and a complaint has been filed regarding this. Due to the government’s corruption and the poor implementation of guarantee schemes, an anti-incumbency wave has been created. After presenting the budget, they are now imposing taxes on everything, he alleged.

The administration in the state has collapsed. No development projects are being taken up. Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar and CM Siddaramaiah are fighting with each other for the Chief Minister’s chair. Siddaramaiah has returned because he has no confidence of winning the Kerala Assembly election. This bye-election will expose the real face of Congress. Congress is trying to convert minorities into a vote bank, he said.

This bye-election will provide an opportunity to throw out the Congress government and will decide the future. Youngsters are coming onto the streets and protesting due to a lack of jobs. An anti-government wave is visible everywhere. This is a golden opportunity for the people to teach the government a lesson, he added.

Siddaramaiah is no longer a leader of the backward classes. His clothes, shawl, pen, and entire lifestyle are those of a forward-class person. But when it comes to votes, he only wants the backward classes. Therefore, he is the “forward leader” of the backward classes, Ashoka remarked.

Deputy CM Shivakumar is not going to get the Chief Minister’s chair permanently. They have already pushed the state into a deep pit of debt. Until the battle for the chair ends, no development will take place, he said.

Preparations are underway for the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA). Booth committees and candidate selection processes have begun. The central leaders will decide on the alliance with JD (S). First, let the government conduct the election. There is fear among them that if Siddaramaiah remains the Chief Minister, it will be impossible to win the GBA election, he said.

The BJP will give a strong contest in Tamil Nadu. In Assam too, the BJP is in a strong position. If the BJP wins this election, they (Congress) will again allege that the EVMs are not working properly. The Congress party is full of poisonous snakes, and many scams have been carried out by them, he alleged.