Jolt to Congress in South as party leader asks Muslims to ‘join hands’ with BJP

Bengaluru, May 21: The Karnataka Congress is likely to face rough weather ahead. With the figures of Ext Polls out, the senior Congress leader in Karnataka has openly appealed to the Muslims to join hands with the BJP is such need arises in the wake of Narendra Modi becoming the Prime Minister again with full majority.

All the Exit Polls have underscored the victory of the BJP and NDA under the leadership of Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah. This time the exit polls have projected that the BJP might get as much as 11 percent of the Muslim votes in this election.

It is against this background, the statement from Roshan Baig, senior Congress leader from Karnataka need to be seen and examined. Baig had criticized the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao for conducting a ‘flop campaign’ during the Lok Sabha elections. He also blamed the former chief minister Siddhamaraiah and other party leaders.

The exit polls have given very poor number to the Congress party in Karnataka where it allied with its rival JD(S) to form the coalition government and kept the BJP out of power.

Roshan Baig also appealed to the Muslims to compromise with the situation and join hands with the BJP should the party stage a massive comeback to power in Delhi.

"Well if NDA is coming back to power, I humbly appeal to Muslim brothers to learn to compromise with the situation," he told a section of media here.

Asked if that means Muslims should join hands with BJP, Baig said if need arises, they must as the Congress had given just one ticket to a Muslim leader in Karnataka. "If needs be, (Muslims) must join hands.

He said that the Congress has not given anything to the Muslims in Karnataka but just one seat. So why should they remain loyal to Congress, he asked.

Baig even hinted at leaving the Congress party. "If needs be, I will do it because we (Muslims) cannot remain in a party with disgrace. We live our lives with grace and dignity. Where we will not get respect, we will not want to remain there. If someone makes us sit with love and affection, we will sit with them," he said.

Holding the KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao and CLP leader Siddharamaiah responsible for the poor and flop campaign in the state, Baig said that they are also responsible for the present condition of the Muslim community in the state.

Baig said he was not surprised by exit poll numbers as from the very beginning he knew Congress would not get good numbers because of the "flop poll campaigning" of the party.