BJP funded AAP in Gujarat to eat into Cong votes, alleges Siddaramaiah

PTI, Dec 8, 2022, 3:01 PM IST

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday alleged the BJP funded the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Gujarat to divide the Congress votes.

As the saffron party is set to return to power for the seventh time in a row, the Congress stalwart in Karnataka said the fledgling party splurged huge money in the Gujarat elections.

”In Gujarat, the AAP spent a lot. My information says that the BJP funded the AAP to divide the Congress vote. Because the AAP contested the election, we lagged behind,” Siddaramaiah told reporters here.

He said the new entrant got 10 per cent of votes reducing the Congress’ vote share. ”The AAP spent huge money in the election. They spent more than the Congress. Yet, they are leading in six seats,” the former Chief Minister said.

To him, the BJP winning in Gujarat was not a matter of surprise.

”There is no surprise that BJP is coming to power in Gujarat because the AAP contested the election and ate away our votes in all the seats,” he added.

Seeking to downplay the impact of Gujarat election results in poll-bound Karnataka, the Congress leader said the wave in one state will never have an effect in the other state.

Wondering why the BJP did not win in Delhi Municipal elections, Siddaramaiah said elections take place on the basis of the problems and issues specific to that particular state. ”What happened to ‘Modi wave’ in Delhi where the BJP lost the MCD election? AAP won in the MCD election,” he said.

Speaking about Karnataka, the former Chief Minister claimed the Congress, which is more organised here than in any other state, has a good scope here because there is anti-incumbency in Karnataka. ”There is a strong anti-incumbency in Karnataka because of corruption, non-performance, maladministration. The situation in Karnataka is pathetic. No project is cleared without paying bribe,” Siddaramaiah charged.

He even claimed the Congress will win even without doing anything and remaining silent.

To a query whether the BJP can play the same strategy of funding a third party, the Congress leader said it will not work here. ”They (BJP) can play that trick with the JD(S) but it will not work here in Karnataka,” the Congress leader said.