Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said insecurity is haunting former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as he thinks that "state Congress president D.K. Shivakumar has overtaken him".
"The tussle between these two will force many in Congress to desert their party in the coming days. There is no question of any one from BJP going there," Bommai said.
Addressing a press conference, he took a dig at DK Shivakumar, who is claiming that many in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are set to join Congress.
"First, he (Shivakumar) had claimed that many BJP MLAs are in contact with him and they are about to join him. Now, he is claiming that they would join Congress when the elections approach. It means his earlier statement was a lie," Bommai said.
The Chief Minister said there has been no reply for the question as to who are the MLAs who are set to desert BJP. "There is an internal tussle within Congress," Bommai said.
"The Congress is non-existent in Uttar Pradesh assembly election. It is losing power in Punjab. It is nowhere in a position to win in Goa. So Congress will become irrelevant after the assembly election in 5 states. Its effect would be felt on the Karnataka Congress too," Bommai said.
On asked if any Congress MLA is in touch with the BJP, Bommai said: "I have not said anything like that."
Replying to a question about former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy's statement that nobody could form a government without JD-S' support after the election, Bommai said: "It has always been his (HDK's) wish. He feels that a hung mandate would give him the freedom."
