Mangaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was on a temple visiting spree to atone for his sins during his rule, senior Congress leader and opposition leader in the legislative council B K Hariprasad said on Thursday.

Addressing a press meet in Udupi, Hariprasad alleged that the BJP government was steeped in corruption and malpractices during the last four years. “The Chief Minister is now doing penance for all the sins,” he said.

The Congress leader charged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who “did not care” to visit Chamarajanagar when 34 people died of for want of oxygen during the Covid pandemic, could find time for a wildlife safari in Bandipur recently in view of the elections.

He said a meeting of Congress ticket aspirants for Udupi seat was held and a request was made to all of them to support the official candidate. Prasad Raj Kanchan is the official nominee of the Congress in Udupi.

Hariprasad said many leaders in the BJP were now leaving the party. “The BJP does not have an agenda for the poor people and is only interested in promoting Hindutva; they want to create division among the people with their communal agenda,” he charged.

Hariprasad said the third list of Congress candidates would be released within two days. Udupi candidate Kanchan and district Congress president Ashok Kumar Kodavoor were present at the press meet.