Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar Should Be Given 'Nobel Peace Prize' If They Don't Fight By 2024: BJP's Annamalai

Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai claimed that the new Karnataka government led by Congress leader Siddaramaiah will 'collapse' within a year.

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader K Annamalai on Saturday claimed that the new Karnataka government led by Congress leader Siddaramaiah will 'collapse' within a year. Speaking to news agency ANI, he said that Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar should be awarded a 'Nobel peace prize' if the two Congress leaders don't fight by 2024.

"I see the Karnataka government collapsing like a pack of cards a year from now. If DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah don't fight by 2024, then the Nobel peace prize should be given to both of them... Because the structure of their government is itself faulty," Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai said.

In Karnataka, what we read in the newspaper is, one chief minister will rule for 2.5 years, and another chief minister will rule for 2.5 years. Till then, one guy will be the deputy chief minister, he added.

"One chief minister will get 10 ministers, the deputy chief minister will get 10 ministers and AICC (All India Congress Committee) will get 10 ministers... Have you seen this kind of structure anywhere in the world," he asked. 

Annamalai also took a jibe at the 'Opposition unity' and asked what kind of unity will be there when there is 'no unity in Congress' itself. 

Ending days of suspense, Congress on Thursday named Siddaramaiah as the next Karnataka CM and Shivakumar, a strong contender for the top post, as his only deputy.

Later, speaking to reporters, Annamalai congratulated Siddaramaiah on becoming Karnataka CM and sought to know the source of funding for implementing the party's five poll promises, as the Rs 2,000 denomination currency would be withdrawn by this September.

"I congratulate Siddaramaiah on becoming the Chief Minister, with people's mandate. Where does the Congress government have funds to implement its five poll assurances, which require about Rs 65,000 crore per year? Rs 2,000 currency notes can't be bundled in bags anymore as they would be withdrawn by this September," Annamalai sarcastically said.

Financial aid of Rs 2,000 to women heads of families, aid to unemployed graduates and diploma holders, 10 kg free rice to BPL families, 200 units of free power for every household in Karnataka, and free bus travel passes for women were the poll assurances of the Congress party.

He also took exception to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin for attending the swearing-in ceremony of Siddaramaiah and the latter's deputy DK Shivakumar, who during the run-up to the recently held Karnataka Assembly elections, had assured to have the Mekedatu dam constructed across the Cauvery river. The proposed project went against Tamil Nadu's interest, Annamalai said.

Siddaramaiah sworn in as Karnataka CM

Earlier on Saturday, Siddaramaiah was sworn in as Karnataka Chief Minister in a grand ceremony in Bengaluru, and State Congress President DK Shivakumar was sworn in as Deputy CM, along with eight legislators as Ministers. A galaxy of opposition leaders, including Chief Ministers of some non-BJP ruled States, took part in the mega event signifying solidarity with the Congress party to take on the saffron party in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, former party president Rahul Gandhi, and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attended the swearing-in ceremony, while former AICC president Sonia Gandhi was absent. 

pic.twitter.com/s7No2GXPEI — Congress (@INCIndia) May 20, 2023

Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states Ashok Gehlot (Rajasthan), Bhupesh Baghel (Chhattisgarh), and Sukhvinder Singh Sukku (Himachal Pradesh) and several top party leaders were also in attendance.

The event marked by bonhomie saw the participation of Chief Ministers MK Stalin (Tamil Nadu), Hemant Soren (Jharkhand), Nitish Kumar (Bihar), and Tejashwi Yadav (Deputy CM-Bihar). NCP president Sharad Pawar, National Conference supremo Farooq Abdullah, PDP chief Mahbooba Mufti, actor-politician Kamal Haasan, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI General Secretary D Raja were among others in attendance.

pic.twitter.com/XpcHpbBtqQ — Congress (@INCIndia) May 20, 2023

In the May 10 elections to the 224-member Assembly, the Congress scored an emphatic victory by bagging 135 seats, while the BJP and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) secured 66 and 19 seats respectively.