BJP President Amit Shah on Tuesday caused a major embarrassment for himself and his party when he accidentally blamed BS Yeddyurappa for being the number one in corruption.
Speaking to reporters in Davanagere in Karnataka, Shah said, “A former Supreme Court judge recently said that Yeddyurappa government should get the number one award for corruption.” He was quickly corrected by one of his party colleagues, sitting next to him. This prompted Shah to then say ‘Siddaramaiah government.’
Yedyurappa, who was sitting to the right of the BJP president, had his facial expression changed in bewilderment, when the latter made this gaffe (see the video).
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tweeted saying that the BJP President had spoken the ‘truth.’ He wrote, “The #ShahOfLies finally speaks truth. Thank you @AmitShah.”
The #ShahOfLies finally speaks truth. Thank you @AmitShah pic.twitter.com/WczQdUfw5U
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) March 27, 2018
Shah is in Karnataka, where the assembly elections will take place on 12 May. The date was announced by the Election Commission on Tuesday. The EC said that the counting will take place on 15 May.
Among other topics, Shah also talked about his party’s plans for farmers, while expressing his anger over the incumbent Karnataka government’s decision to accord a new religious status to the state’s powerful Lingayat community.
The BJP has been desperately trying to unseat Siddaramaiah government with the Congress accusing the saffron party of resorting to communal politics. This is the only state in south India, where the BJP has been in power in the past. However, the party was voted out following corruption allegations against BS Yeddyurappa, who is the BJP’s chief ministerial face this time around too.
The term of Karnataka’s 224-seat assembly comes to an end on 28 May and the new government must be in place before that.
