HD Kumaraswamy govt will fall on its own after Lok Sabha election results are out: Karnataka BJP general secretary

BENGALURU: Although his party has tied itself in knots over selection of candidates and the prospect of a tough challenge looms in several constituencies in next month’s general elections, Aravind Limbavali, state BJP general secretary and senior legislator from Bengaluru, was a picture of nonchalance. He asserted that the saffron party will win 20-22 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka. Excerpts from an interview:


The Tejaswini Ananth Kumar’s incident has come as a big embarrassment for the BJP. While people were expecting that

your party

would ride the sympathy wave after her husband’s death, she has been snubbed. How will the BJP handle this?

The decision not field Tejaswini was based on the principle of not promoting dynastic politics. Veteran leader LK Advani didn’t support the party high command when it offered a ticket to his daughter. The same applies to Tejaswini.

In Mandya, where another woman is fighting a lone battle, the BJP chose only to support her. Why didn’t you make her your party candidate?

Sumalatha Ambareesh never wanted to join the BJP. She didn’t even seek our support. It was a voluntary decision on our part to support her. The main issue here is the double-standards of chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, who s h owe d himself as honouring actor-politician Ambareesh by organising a huge funeral procession for him in Bengaluru and Mandya, but snubbed his wife when people of Mandya wanted her to be their representative in the Lok Sabha.

How many seats do you think the BJP will win in Karnataka ?

I expect between 20 and 22 for our party. HD Deve Gowda and DK Shivakumar may claim that they will not allow us to touch the double digit mark, but they will not succeed.

What issues is your party fighting the elections in Karnataka?

The Narendra Modi government’s performance is the command factor which has given us a big boost. Apart from the way the Pulwama issue was handled, people are appreciative of the Centre’s policies such as Ayushman Bharat and Ujwala. In Karnataka, the failure of the coalition government and infighting within the JD(S)-Congress coalition are the main issues.

Your party leaders say the JD(S)- Congress government will not survive after the Lok Sabha polls…

I expect the government to fall after the Lok Sabha results are announced on May 23. It’s not that the BJP will destabilise it. It will fall on its own. I anticipate mid-term assembly polls after the elections.

What is your USP for Bengaluru?

The HDK government’s elevated corridor proposal is just hogwash. The state government has not even set up a special purpose vehicle for the project even while it is bragging about taking it forward.