BJP president Amit Shah accused Siddaramaiah of corruption by citing the example of the wristwatch worn by the Karnataka Chief Minister.

Alleging that the wristwatch which Siddaramaiah wears is worth Rs 40 lakh, Shah said that the Congress leadership was corrupt and hypocrite.

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“How many people can afford a watch worth Rs 40 lakh? Siddaramaiah is the socialist leader who wears watch worth Rs 40 lakh. This indicates how much corruption they (the Congress) have done in the state,” he said.

Shah, who was addressing the Arecanut Growers Convention in Shivamogga on Monday, reiterated the BJP’s accusation that the state government is “number one in corruption”.

The BJP president, who is on a two-day visit of the poll-bound state, said that while the Congress ignored the interests of the areca nut (betel nut) growers of Karnataka the Modi government increased the minimum import price (MSP) of the nut from Rs 162 per kg to Rs 251 per kg and imposed 100 per cent import tax to help the farmers.

“Karnataka produces 25 per cent of the total production of supari in the world but Congress government failed to protect the interests of the farmers through their policies,” Shah alleged.

Hailing the party’s chief ministerial face BS Yeddyurappa as a leader who has always supported the farmers, Shah said, “Once BJP forms government under the leadership of Yeddyurappa in Karnataka, we will set up research and development centre for supari with the investment of Rs 500 crore in Shimoga.”

Earlier today, Shah met 110-year-old Lingayat seer Shivakumara Swami of the Siddaganga Mutt at Tumakuru to seek blessings for his party’s success in the upcoming elections.

“I felt like seeing God when I met the revered pontiff. I sought his blessings for our party’s success in the state assembly election,” Shah told reporters later here, about 70 km from Bengaluru.

The Lingayats, who form 17 per cent of the electorate in the state, were recognised as followers of a religion distinct from Hinduism by Siddaramaiah government on 23 March.

The BJP criticised the move as an attempt to divide the Hindu votes.

“If Siddaramaiah had read national poet Kuvempu ji’s literature, he would not have been doing the kind of politics he is practicing in Karnataka,” said Shah.

Kuvempu is hailed as greatest poet of Karnataka. His narrative ‘Sri Ramayana Darshanam’ is seen as the revival of the era of Mahakavya. His memorial is located in Shivamogga.

During his visit, Shah will make cultural outreaches to the Vokkaliga and other backward caste communities in the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had during his Karnataka tours accused the Congress government of corruption calling Siddaramaiah’s government a “10 per cent commission sarkar”.