In Battleground Karnataka, Siddaramaiah & Amit Shah Trade Barbs

After a hotly contested Gujarat election, Karnataka is the site of the next big showdown.

In poll-bound Karnataka, the BJP and Congress have locked horns in a fierce electoral battle. 

(Image altered by The Quint)

With just a couple of months to go for the Karnataka elections, a war of words broke out between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah on Wednesday.

Speaking to news agency ANI, the Karnataka Chief Minister alleged that there are certain “extremist elements” within the BJP and its ideological mentor, the RSS, and that his government would not tolerate anyone who ties to hamper communal harmony.

The BJP and RSS have some extremist elements within them. My government won’t tolerate those who disrupt peace.

Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister, Karnataka

"Will Uproot Congress From the State": Amit Shah

Addressing the Parivartan Yatra at Chitradurga in Karnataka, BJP President Amit Shah vowed to remove the Congress government from the state.

Talking about the "anger among farmers and youth", Shah said that the Congress should start counting its last days in the state.

He claimed that the Modi government had allotted close to Rs 219,000 crore to Karnataka, and questioned the implementation of the money under the state’s Congress government.

<span style="white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Where did all the money given by the Centre go? Did it reach your village? Look for a Congressman in your village. Five years ago, what used to be a thatched house will now be a huge 4-storey house with an expensive car parked in front.</span>

Amit Shah, President, BJP

Karnataka is expected to go to polls early in 2018 and the BJP has already pitched Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to campaign for it in the state. The incumbent Congress is headed by CM Siddaramaiah, whose government won 122 seats in the 2013 Assembly elections, defeating the BJP, which managed to win only 40.

Video Editor: Vishal Kumar