Bagalkot (Karnataka), April 7 : Senior BJP leader and former minister B. Sriramulu has said that people have decided to uproot the Congress party from Karnataka and that it will be wiped out in 2028. He expressed confidence that BJP candidates will win in the Bagalkot and Davanagere bye-elections.

Speaking to the media here on Tuesday, he said that people have already made up their minds to ensure BJPâ??s victory in both bypolls and should not miss this opportunity. He alleged that if Congress wins, its â??dramaâ?? will continue for another two years, claiming that the government is being run through â??dinner and lunch meetings.â??

He said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been campaigning for the past ten days, asking people to vote based on development and guarantees. However, he alleged that people will not vote for development as â??no development has taken place.â??

He also alleged that price rise has made it difficult for the poor to survive and that the government has failed to properly deliver its guarantee schemes. â??Now, after all this, they have started a new narrative asking for votes based on caste,â?? he said.

Criticising the governmentâ??s transport sector, he claimed no new buses have been purchased and that there is not even money to buy a jack if a bus gets punctured.

Mocking the governmentâ??s guarantee schemes, he said the Congress has spent three years talking about guarantees. Referring to the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, he alleged that while Rs. 2,000 is given to women, it ultimately burdens their families financially. He further alleged corruption of Rs 5,000 crore in the scheme.

Responding to allegations that BJP is a casteist party, he said Congress uses caste for political gain. Referring to the MUDA case in which CM Siddaramaiah is named as accused number one, he alleged large-scale corruption and accused the Chief Minister of using caste identity as a shield.

He further alleged that Siddaramaiah is anti-Dalit, citing alleged irregularities in the Valmiki Corporation and claiming that funds under SCSP/TSP were diverted for guarantee schemes and even for the Lok Sabha elections. He said the long-pending demand for internal reservation has not been properly implemented.

Sriramulu also claimed that the state lacks basic infrastructure such as roads and that the government is struggling to pay salaries, leading to protests by employees across departments. He alleged that the state is facing an economic crisis.

/IANS