Bengaluru: BJP President Amit Shah today said the party would fight the next Assembly polls under the leadership of state party chief B S Yeddyurappa and reap electoral benefits because of the goodwill shown by the Modi government towards Karnataka in extending development grants. 

"We will fight the election under Yeddyurappaji's leadership... but it is quite natural that the BJP would reap poll benefits by way of goodwill shown to Karnataka by Modi government at the Centre by doling out grants for development," he told reporters here.

On the Siddaramaiah government "playing politics" over Hindi language, Shah said the people of the state understood that he was doing what he was keeping in mind the assembly polls due early next year. 

"Why didn't Siddaramaiah raise this issue two days after taking oath as Chief Minister. The fact that he has raised them four months prior to the election, people for sure know he is not serious, but playing vote bank politics," he said.

Shah also slammed the Congress government in the state over the attacks on BJP and Sangh workers. In the last four years, some 30 workers of the Sangh have been killed and attacked, he said.

"What kind of appeasement politics is this? Will the government answer why it let off jailed Popular Front of India activists and revoked all cases against them?" he asked. When asked to respond to Congress' allegation that the BJP government at the Centre was using central agencies to book their leaders during Gujarat MLAs' stay here at a resort, Shah said, "Is it right to keep MLAs as hostage when a part of Gujarat was reeling under floods? Let Congress give reply on it first, then I will answer all their questions." 

On the timing of Income Tax raids on state Energy Minister D K Shivakumar's properties, Shah said many such raids have taken place, but why did the Congress not seek resignations of their leaders. Shivakumar was in charge of managing Gujarat MLAs' stay at a resort in Bengaluru. 

"Why doesn't Congress seek resignations from their leaders, whose black money and benami property comes to light during raids?" he asked.

Replying to a query, Shah said BJP governments inMadhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have ordered investigation in corruption charges against their leaders, unlike the Congress government led by Siddarmaiah in Karnataka. 

"The BJP initiated a High Court-monitored probe into MPscam (the Vyapam scandal involving recruitment for government jobs and admissions in educational institutions). We did the same in Rajasthan. You must understand the difference. Let Siddaramaiah at least initiateprobe into corruption charges," he said.

He said the BJP also suspended two of its Kerala unit leaders forcorruption.

Asked about the demand for a separate religion status for Lingayats, the largest community in Karnataka, Shah said "Thisis a political game of Siddaramaiah." He, however, did not elaborate.

On the Centre's plan to hold state and general elections together next year, Shah said the issue would be taken up for discussion after all parties were taken on board. On BJP's stand on article 35 A relating to special rights and privileges of the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir, he said, "We will place our stand before the court."

The Supreme Court is hearing a plea filed by one Charu Wali Khanna challenging Article 35A of the Constitution and Section six of the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution which deal with the permanent residents of the state.

The plea has challenged certain provisions of the Constitution which deny property rights to a Kashmiri woman who marries a person from outside the state. 

The provision, which results in forfeiture of the right of such women from the state over ancestral property, also applies to their son.