Hubballi: Putting to rest speculations of Basavaraj Bommai's exit, BJP national general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Arun Singh said Bommai will remain as the CM and Karnataka BJP will fight the 2023 elections under his leadership.

"This is a very hypothetical and an imaginary question. The CM is doing wonderful work. He is a very seasoned and simple politician. He is also very humble and honest. The government is working for the welfare of Karnataka people. I can tell you one thing and that is - Bommai is our CM and he will remain so. We will contest the next election under his leadership," he told reporters here.

He was replying to a question referring to Bommai's "nothing in the world is eternal - positions or posts" remark in Haveri, which had created a flutter, triggering speculations of his exit as the chief minister.

Singh also cleared the air by saying that the party did not remove BS Yediyurappa as the CM, but it acted on his request for replacing him with a suitable candidate.

Replying to Congress calling the present setup as a 40 percent commission government, Singh said Bommai's government is very honest and there is not even a single paisa corruption charge against him. "We will take action if the government finds any culprit down the line," he said.

On Murgesh Nirani's comment that he would become the chief minister replacing Bommai, Singh dismissed it as a media creation. "I have spoken to Nirani and he has told me that he said something, but published something else," he said.

On the implications of BJP losing Hanagal byelection, Singh BJP's graph was increasing and Congress' decreasing if results of all elections after BJP's assumption to power are taken into account.

"If you see the results of all the elections after the present government took charge - bypolls, GPs, local bodies and MLC - BJP's growth is evident. Almost all assembly bypolls have been won by BJP. We had won 25,000 gram panchayats. Now we have won 48,000 GPs. And in MLC elections, BJP had six seats. Now we have 11 seats. So, BJP's graph is increasing and Congress' is decreasing," he said.

BJP will form the next government as the party is working towards winning more than 156 seats in 2023 state elections, Singh said.

There is no scope for Congress to register a win as there is a chief ministerial fight between DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah, and also the party's central leadership does not inspire party workers, he said.

"There is no scope for Congress in Karnataka. Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar are at loggerheads. Also their central leaders - Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi - have failed. So, Karnataka Congress will not get inspiration from them," he said.

Moreover, the Congress leaders are not on ground, but simply playing hit-and-scoot politics, Singh said. "We will go before the people and enlighten them about the changes the Bommai government made. During Congress rule, we have seen the worst of all appeasement and caste politics in the state, but we have given a government free from these malaise" he said.