News Elections Aap Ki Adalat: Piyush Goyal decodes connection between Bharat Jodo Yatra, Kharge and Karnataka elections

Aap Ki Adalat: Piyush Goyal decodes connection between Bharat Jodo Yatra, Kharge and Karnataka elections

Karnataka is scheduled to go to polls on May 10 and results will be out on May 13.

Rahul Gandhi with Mallikarjun Kharge during Bharat Jodo Yatra Image Source : TWITTERRahul Gandhi with Mallikarjun Kharge during Bharat Jodo Yatra

Aap Ki Adalat: Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal who is confident of BJP's win in upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections said that Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge himself is a contender for CM post in poll-bound state. BJP's 'sankat mochan' minister who appeared on the latest Aap Ki Adalat episode face a slew of questions by India TV Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Rajat Sharma on Aap Ki Adalat. 

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He said, Congress has three claimants for the post of chief minister: Siddaramaiah, D.K. Shiv Kumar and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge himself. 

Goyal said, "During Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', we were surprised why his yatra did not go through those states where elections were on. We  were surprised about the secret behind this. Today, I see Karnataka and I now understand the real reason. The reality is that it was not 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', he was doing 'Party Jodo Yatra' in Karnataka. There are three claimants for the chief minister's post. Siddharamaiah is unwilling to leave his claim and wants to become CM again, DK Shiv Kumar does not want to leave his aspirations for CM post. Now their all-India president Mallikarjun Kharge has jumped in.

He says, forget these two fighting among themselves. As Congress president, I am the most capable one for CM post. So that 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' was to bring unity among the three. The Yatra did not even enter Gujarat, where election was going on. In Karnataka, I do not find Rahul campaigning. I think their leaders have told him not to come, otherwise their margin of defeat will increase."

On Priyanka Gandhi's allegation that BJP "stole" our MLAs, when we had a government in Karnataka, Goyal replied: "Why do they give ticket to such people, who are waiting to be stolen? I mean, if Congress fields such candidates, the people of Karnataka should not elect such candidates as MLAs."