Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, May 8: Karnataka assembly elections have been interesting for a variety of reasons. The best one is perhaps the repeated, embarassing gaffes being committed by political leaders. BJP president Amit Shah was caught calling his chief ministerial candidate Yeddyurappa's government the most corrupt had the entire state laughing its head off. Now, chief minister Siddaramaiah has committed a hilarious slip-of-the-tongue, but managed to amuse the crowds with his quick and witty recovery.
Addressing a road show flanked by scores of supporters, Siddaramaiah mistakenly asked people to vote for Narendra Modi, instead of Narendra Swamy, the Congress candidate for whom the CM was campaigning.
Siddaramaiah said that 'Narendra Modi' was responsible for the development in villages. "In all the villages, work on roads, drinking water, building houses, all this is possible because of Narendra Modi and us…." He also said, "If you vote for Narendra Modi, it is as good as voting for me,". The crowd realised the gaffe at once and began roaring in amusement. Party candidate Narendra Swamy immediately interrupted Siddaramaiah to correct him.
Siddaramaiah not only corrected himself, but in a witty comeback, used his own gaffe to take a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Not Narendra Modi... Narendra Swamy...the important word here is Narendra.
"The Swamy is here, the Modi is there in Gujarat. Narendra Modi is fiction, Narendra Swamy is truth," he said, much to the amusement of the crowd.
Amit Shah had in a press meet called Yeddyurappa's government the number one in corruption. A few days later, BJP leader Prahlad Joshi mistakenly translated Amit Shah's speech in Hindi into Kannada and said Narendra Modi had not done anything for Dalits. Congress had then lapped up the opportunity to target the BJP, saying Amit Shah had finally said the 'truth'. It is likely that BJP may take Siddaramaiah's gaffe to score a counterpoint now.
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