Mysuru: Maintaining that he was not at all scared about his opponents coming together to defeat him in Chamundeshwari Constituency in the 2018 polls, Chief Minister Siddharamaiah has said that he won the Chamundeshari bypolls in 2006 even though all his opponents came together.

Speaking to press persons upon his arrival at Mysore Airport in Mandakalli here this morning en route to taking part in the Congress Convention at K.R. Nagar this afternoon, Siddharamaiah said that he would in no way be deterred by opposition strategies, plots and plans to defeat him in 2018 Assembly polls.

Pointing out that he believed in the trust of voters and not any strategies, the CM said that he was sure that the Chamundeshwari Assembly segment voters would not ditch him this time too.

He further said that he would not like to comment on the recent outburst of his one time colleague and now BJP leader V. Sreenivasa Prasad against him.

Replying to a query on the BJP’s proposed ‘Parivartana Yatra,’ the CM pooh-poohing the BJP’s plans, said that the BJP does not want any social transformation. The BJP is only interested in dividing communities and thus disturb the harmonious atmosphere prevailing in the State, he said. Referring to State BJP President B.S. Yeddyurappa’s (BSY) comment on the status of the State’s economy, he said that it seems that BSY does not seem to have even minimum knowledge of economy.

Claiming that former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, who is renowned economist, during his visit to Bengaluru recently had remarked that Karnataka was the best financially managed State in the country, the CM said that the State is witnessing a steady progress in GDP growth under Congress rule. But BSY, who is also a former Finance Minister, is now making baseless comments on the State’s economy, he said.

Referring to the havoc caused by heavy rains in Bengaluru and Mysuru, he said that encroachment of Rajakaluves (Feeder Canals) was one of the primary reasons for the problem.

Asserting that his Government is determined to clear all encroachments on Rajakaluves, he blamed the previous Governments for the mess caused by heavy rains.

Pointing out that there was 853 kms of Rajakaluve in Bengaluru, the CM said that his Government has released funds for clearing the clogging and repair of 350 kms of Rajakaluve.  He further said that the Government will take all measures to ensure that rain-related disasters do not recur.

He also lashed out at the BJP for playing politics over rain related deaths in Bengaluru. The CM was welcomed by Ministers Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa and Dr. Geetha Mahadevaprasad, MP R. Dhruvanarayan, MLC R. Dharmasena, Nanjangud MLA Kalale Keshavamurthy, DC D. Randeep, SP Ravi D. Channannavar, City Police Commissioner Dr. A.S. Rao and other officials.

The CM later left by road to K.R. Nagar.