State BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa Friday predicted the defeat of top leaders of the ruling Congress-JD(S) alliance, including former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, senior Congress leaders Veerappa Moily and Mallikarjun Kharge in the Lok Sabha polls. Signalling possible political instability in the state after the Lok Sabha poll results, the former Chief Minister said differences between Congress and JD(S) would increase after the results are out on May 23.
“I have been saying this with confidence that we will win more than 300 seats across the country this time. In Karnataka, we will win at least 22 (out of 28) Lok Sabha seats. I’m saying this with confidence,” Yeddyurappa said. Addressing party MLAs, MPs and leaders meeting in the backdrop of bypolls to Chincholi and Kundgol assembly seats on May 19, he said “the atmosphere is in our favour to an extent that Veerappa Moily has already lost against our candidate; in Kolar also K H Muniyappa will lose against our candidate Muniswamy.”
While JD(S) patriarch Gowda is pitted against BJP’s Basavaraj in Tumkur, Congress leader and former chief Minister Moily is fighting a tough battle against BJP’s Bachche Gowda in Chikkaballapur. Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge is fighting Umesh Jadhav of BJP in Gulbarga, and in Kolarformer Union Minister K H Muniyappa of Congress is pittedagainst Muniswamy of the saffron party.