Congress MP Randeep Surjewala said on Tuesday that the government has ordered central authorities to conduct raids on party leaders and candidates named for the Karnataka Assembly elections, leveling major claims against the Union.
The Congress leader stated that the party has “genuine information” that the BJP has not chosen its candidates for the elections. Surjewala claimed that the BJP is experiencing a “mass exodus” in the poll-bound state.
“We have authentic information that BJP is unable to select its candidates for BJP’s ministers and MLAs are refusing to contest seats…A mass exodus is happening in BJP in Karnataka. About 10 MLAs, MLCs, ex-MLAs and ex-MLCs, their boards & corporation chairmen have resigned in dozens and joined Congress,” he claimed.
“So, PM Modi has decided to use the final arsenal in his armory which will also fail miserably. We have info that hundreds of I-T and ED officers have been dispatched to Karnataka to conduct raids across the state on Congress leaders, candidates, and probable party candidates,” Surjewala alleged.
He emphasized that the Congress party will not cower and will contest the elections with vigor.
“But PM Modi and his ED and I-T should know that their fake, fraudulent, and fabricated raids will not cow down Congress which is on the verge of coming to power,” Surjewala said.
He predicted that the party would surpass the 150-member threshold in the Karnataka Assembly elections.
“Your Income Tax and ED Dept of the BJP cannot and will not deter the Congress ‘rath’ which is people’s ‘rath’ from going past the 150-plus mark of victory. We also call upon all those bureaucrats & officers of the I-T and ED who are being sought to be misused by raids that will begin tomorrow as per our information, that all wrongdoings you are doing on behalf of the BJP Govt would be accounted for,” he said.
Karnataka Lok Sabha Speaker Siddaramaiah stated that there is a Congress wave in Karnataka and that the party will come to power with a comfortable majority.
“With a comfortable majority, Congress will come to power. As Surjewala said, a number of MLAs, MLCs, and chairmen of boards & corporations have resigned from BJP and joined Congress. Everybody in Karnataka knows that the wave is in favor of Congress…BJP High Command is well aware that BJP in Karnataka is sinking and it can’t come to power. The hate politics & Hindutva is not working in the coming Karnataka elections 2023,” he said.
Karnataka will hold Assembly elections on May 10, with results expected on May 13.
