Rahul Gandhi's visit to Lingayat mutts just a show-off: Basavaraj Bommai

Davangere: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has said that he will thank Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for visiting the Lingayat mutts just for showing-off.

He told reporters here on Monday that a host of BJP national leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Minister Smriti Irani will be coming to Karnataka for campaigning as the star campaigners.

He said the BJP will garner more votes than in the 2018 Assembly elections. The Congress leaders will be thanked for taking former CM Jagadish Shettar and former Dy CM Lakshman Savadi into their party. It will be a plus point for the BJP. The voters are against Shettar and Savadi. They enjoyed the power and then joined the Congress. This will not be accepted by the people, he added.

Bommai said he never imagined becoming the chief minister but the high command decided it. Now also the high command will take a decision. Everything is being watched by the leaders in Delhi.

Reacting to Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D.K. Shivakumar's statement that the BJP was playing with emotions, Bommai said it was the Congress leaders who started the controversy surrounding Lingayats. Shivakumar has the habit of saying something and doing another thing. "Let us wait and watch whom God will bless".

On claims by Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar that his statement on the Lingayat CMs has been twisted, Bommai said the people are not fools and are watching everything. On BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa, prime accused in a bribe for contract scam, campaigning for his son in Channagiri, the CM said the high command is observing everything and will take

a suitable decision.