Bengaluru: Bharatiya Janata Party will come back to power in Karnataka says PM Narendra Modi

Bengaluru : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will retain power in Karnataka after the May 10 Assembly elections. Addressing a massive gathering at Ayanur in Shivamogga, PM Modi, who is in the last leg of campaigning for the Assembly polls, said "people are going to elect a majority government in the state this time". "Despite it being Sunday, people have blessed me. I will be obliged to Karnataka for my entire life. I will not forget this love and affection. Our exam is on May 10. I will give a genuine guarantee. I have a goal to develop the state," PM Modi stated.

Criticising the Congress, the Prime Minister said the party was offering lies as promises only to fool people.

"When I was the Gujarat chief minister, B.S. Yediyurappa was also the chief minister of Karnataka. Yediyurappa had come with a delegation to Delhi regarding problems faced by arecanut farmers. Yediyurappa has struggled for the welfare of Shivamogga's farmers. I have taken many measures for the welfare of arecanut growers. There is no need for panic in this regard," he said.

He charged that on the pretext of waiving off loans, Congress has looted money.

"They did not build separate toilets in schools. After the BJP came to power, separate toilets have been built for girls," he added.

The Assembly election in Karnataka is scheduled to be held on May 10 and the result will be announced on May 13. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said on Sunday that the Congress will come to power in Karnataka, which is now being governed by the BJP. Speaking to reporters in pilgrim town Pandharpur, about 350 km from Mumbai, the 82-year-old politician said that in the current situation, the BJP is in power in “five to six” states, while the rest have non-BJP governments.

“As per the information I have received, Congress will come to power in Karnataka. As far as the whole country is concerned, we will start with Kerala. Is the BJP there in Kerala? In Tamil Nadu? I have told you about Karnataka. Is BJP there in Telangana? Andhra? In Maharashtra, just because of Eknath Shinde's smartness, they managed to get the state,” he said. Assembly polls in Karnataka will be held on May 10 and votes will be counted on May 13. Pawar, who recently agreed to stay on as NCP chief after stunned party workers did not accept his decision to step down, said that BJP came to power in Madhya Pradesh after some Congress MLAs were poached when Kamal Nath was the chief minister.