Bagalkot, Jan 17 (IANS): Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Sunday equated Union Home Minister Amit Shah with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, country's first Deputy Prime Minister after India achieved independence and formed its own government at the Centre.
"Shah is the only leader who has grown in stature of Sardar Patel. Like Patel, Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are ushering in revolution and taking the country to greater heights," said Yediyurappa in Kannada at a public rally in Karnataka's Bagalkot town, about 475km northwest of Bengaluru.
Patel (1875-1950) was also the country's first Union Home Minister and like Shah and Modi, hailed from Gujarat.
"Under Modi and Shah, the ruling BJP will win over 150 seats in the state's next assembly elections in 2023, as our government is doing its best to ensure all-round development, especially of farmers despite the Covid pandemic," asserted Yediyurappa at the party's Jansevak Samavesh (public gathering).
Lauding Yediyurappa's leadership at an official event in Bengaluru on Saturday, Shah said the BJP government would complete its term and return to power with absolute majority in the next assembly elections.
Though Yediyurappa formed the government on May 17, 2018, he resigned three days later on May 19, as the BJP fell 9 seats short of simple majority (113) in the 225-member House, as it won only 104 seats in the last assembly elections.
Putting rest to speculation over Yediyurappa's continuation in the Chief Minister's post due to allegations against him by 'dissidents' in the party, Shah said the state government had done well in managing the Covid pandemic.
"I want to tell all those, including opposition Congress leaders that our government would complete its term under Yediyurappa's leadership and come back to power for another 5 years with an absolute majority," said Shah in Hindi.
The Home Minister advised Yediurappa's detractors and critics in the party to work for the people, as the BJP is a party that works for the people's welfare.
"As the nodal agency in our fight against Covid across the country, my ministry gets all the data on Covid management from all state governments. I have no hesitation in saying that Karnataka under Yediyurappa's leadership, has done a great work in controlling the pandemic," asserted Shah.