Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has accused BJP leaders of attempting to lure Congress MLAs with monetary offers since the formation of his government.
Referring to "Operation Lotus politics", Siddaramaiah portrayed the BJP's actions as desperate measures stemming from a fear of electoral defeat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and called upon the citizens to vote for the Congress party.
"Fearing defeat in the elections, BJP leaders are doing everything to lure our MLAs. They (the BJP) started offering money to our MLAs from the day we formed the government in Karnataka. Operation Lotus politics will not work anymore; their defeat is guaranteed. "Vote for Congress!" Karnataka CM said on his X handle.
Siddaramaiah also urged the people to vote for the Congress party as a means to "save the Constitution."
Any erosion of constitutional values and principles, Siddaramaiah said can have far-reaching consequences, impacting the most vulnerable and marginalized sections of society disproportionately.
"Any threat to the Constitution means a threat to the lives and future of women, the poor, the middle class, shudras, and the hardworking people of the country," pointed out.
Siddaramaiah called citizens to seize the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as an opportunity to uphold democracy and defeat the BJP-led central government.
With Karnataka contributing 28 Lok Sabha seats, the state's electoral outcome holds significant weight in the national political landscape. The state's voters will cast their ballots in two phases on April 26 and May 7, making Karnataka a key battleground in the upcoming elections.
The 2019 elections saw the Congress and JDS alliance facing a significant defeat, with the BJP securing a record 25 seats in Karnataka. This electoral setback has likely fueled the Congress' determination to regain ground and challenge the BJP's dominance in the state.
The 2024 Lok Sabha elections, scheduled in seven phases beginning on April 19 and culminating in the vote count on June 4, will be closely watched, given the high stakes involved for both the Congress and the BJP in Karnataka and beyond.
The electoral outcomes in Karnataka will undoubtedly have broader implications for national politics, setting the tone for the formation of the central government and influencing policy directions and political alliances in the coming years.