BJP will form government in Karnataka: Amit Shah
Panaji: BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday asserted that his party would form the next government in Karnataka, a day after the polling for high-stake assembly polls in the southern state indicated a tight contest between the saffron party and the Congress.
Most of the post-poll surveys have predicted the BJP to emerge as the single largest party in Karnataka, with the JD(S) of former prime minister HD Devegowda likely to emerge as the kingmaker.
“The BJP will form the government in Karnataka on May 15 evening after the results,” Amit Shah said while addressing a gathering of around 15,000 BJP workers at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium near Panaji.
Polling was held yesterday in 222 constituencies in Karnataka, currently ruled by the Congress.
Any party or alliance will need the support of 112 MLAs to form the new government.
Amit Shah who spoke on various issues, recalled the cross-border surgical strike launched by Indian forces on terrorist launch pads in 2016.
He said after US and Israel, the country is now known to avenge the killings of its soldiers.
During the meeting today, a video message of Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is undergoing treatment in the USA since March this year, was also played.
In the message, Parrikar announced that he would return to his home state within the next few weeks.
Recalling Parrikar’s tenure as defence minister, Shah described him as a “hardworking person with a grip on the administration”.
“The Uri attack happened when Parrikar was the defence minister. In the attack, soldiers were burnt to death alive. The entire country was shocked. Parrikar was then the defence minister under the prime ministership of Narendra Modi.
“Within ten days of the attack, our soldiers went to the PoK and took revenge through the surgical strike,” he said.
A total of 17 Army personnel were killed after four heavily-armed terrorists attacked an Indian Army brigade headquarters in Uri, near the Line of Control in a pre-dawn ambush on September 18, 2016.
“…Post this (surgical strike), India is known worldwide for two identities:a country before the surgical strike and the country after the strike.
“After America and Israel, India is now counted amongst the nations that take revenge of the death of its soldiers,” he said.
On the mining crisis in the coastal state, Amit Shah said the issue would be resolved through court only.
“I don’t want to speak much on the issue, but I want to assure the people of Goa that the mining crisis which has arisen due to the court order would be solved through court only,” he said.
The Goa government had last week resolved to file a review petition against the Supreme Court order of February this year quashing the second renewal of iron ore mining leases given to 88 companies in Goa in 2015, which brought the mining industry in the coastal state to a halt.
