VIJAYAPURA: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said there is no example of giving tickets to all the sitting MLAs, since every election is different. The tickets will be given only after the survey, performance, and other factors, he said.
Asked about former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa’s statement that some of the sitting party legislators are unlikely to get tickets for the upcoming Assembly polls, he told reporters in Chikkagalagali that since Yediyurappa is a member of the Parliamentary Board, he may have that information. However, the issue of giving tickets to candidates above 70 years of age or not is before them.
“Every constituency is discussed in the Parliamentary Board and it is very difficult to say all the sitting MLAs will get the tickets,” he said.
Reacting to the Lokayukta raid on the house of BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa, the CM said the Lokayukta is independent to probe the matter and everyone must respect the court’s verdict. He said the anti-corruption institution has taken up an investigation of the case and there was no question of concealing anything.
Attacking the Congress, Bommai said, “The Congress leaders are making baseless allegations and by doing so, the corruption and sin they have done in the past will not be washed away. The government will hand over 59 corruption cases that took place during the Congress government regime to the Lokayukta since those cases had been closed in Anti-Corruption Bureau.” Once the investigation is over, the true colours of Congress will come to the fore, the CM said.
“It is true that instructions had been given to stop the procession of Madal Virupakshappa in Channagiri two days ago”, he said.
Asked abpout Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar’s allegations against him, Bommai said that the Congress leader had a close bond with corruption and naturally, such statements were expected from him. On Congress leaders terming BJP national general secretary C T Ravi as a Hindu terrorist, Bommai said, “For Congress leaders, patriots look like terrorists. But for others, Congress leaders look like anti-nationals and terrorists.” (ANI)