Absolute majority for BJP in Karnataka, Shetter & Savadi's defeat certain: Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje

Shobha Karandlaje hit out at Jagadish Shettar and Lakshman Savadi for quitting the BJP to join the Congress. She predicted that the two leaders will be defeated while BJP will get absolute majority.

Bengaluru:Former chief minister Jagadish Shettar and former deputy chief minister Lakshman Savadi, who quit the BJP to join the Congress will be certainly defeated in the upcoming Karnataka assembly elections while the saffron party will get an absolute majority, said Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje on Friday. Karandlaje, who is also the convenor of the Karnataka election management said BJP's poll results will not be affected if some leaders leave the party for their "personal benefits".

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Karandlaje said Shettar and Savadi quit BJP despite being given good opportunities by the party. Shettar was given the highest post of the Chief Minister but now he joined the Congress to become an MLA, she said. Similarly, Savadi was appointed the Deputy Chief Minister, she said adding that BJP has the strength to absorb any damage that may have been caused after the two leaders quit.

She predicted that BJP will win both the Hubli-Dharwad Central constituency, where Congress has fielded Shettar and Athani constituency, where Savadi has been fielded as Congress candidate. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda are working hard to secure a sweeping victory in Karnataka. This time, 72 new faces have got tickets and 70 candidates are below 50 years while tickets have been given to 14 women," she said

"Some leaders have left BJP for their selfishness and personal benefits. This will not cause any problem to the party, Even Ayanur Manjunath was given all kinds of opportunities. He was a member of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and Legislative Assembly. It was not right on his part to leave the party," she said. Asserting on BJP's efforts towards women's representation in politics, Karandlaje said representation of women in politics is generally low but in Modi's cabinet there are 11 women among whom she is one. "I don't want to become the Chief Minister. There has been no discussion on this matter in the party," she said.

Karandlage said several schemes of the Center have been implemented in Karnataka. Nearly 52 lakh farmers of the state have been covered under the Prime Minister's Krishi Samman Yojana and an incentive of Rs 10,000 each was directly paid to their bank account. This apart, several development projects have been undertaken by the double engine government she said.