Campaigning ends Friday for high-stakes Karnataka polls

Bangalore, May 2: Campaigning for the May 5 Assembly polls in Karnataka ends tomorrow, capping a bitter canvassing that saw national leaders of the BJP and Congress making a strong pitch for people's mandate in the high-stake elections.

Graft was the recurrent theme, with the Congress seeking to paint the ruling BJP as a "champion of corruption", and the latter hitting right back on the party heading the UPA by highlighting the 2G and Commonwealth Games scams.

Though BJP President Rajnath Singh, stalwart L K Advani and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj addressed a number of public meetings, it was Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi who clearly stole the show for the party.

For the Congress, it was Vice-President Rahul Gandhi who turned out to be the star campaigner. Karnataka is the first major state to go to polls after he became number two in the party.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi also addressed public rallies in Gulbarga and here to keep the momentum going for the party. Rahul addressed three public meetings in the state yesterday.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh too undertook electioneering while harping on 'corruption' under the BJP government and accusing it of failure to utilise central grants.

After a no holds barred, all-round attack on the Congress, particularly targeting Rahul Gandhi, in a rally here last Sunday, Modi addressed public meetings in Mangalore and Belgaum today in what appeared to be a "final push" by the BJP to keep the spirits high.

Elections would be held to 223 Assembly seats, after the one in Piriyapatna was postponed to May 28 following the death of the BJP candidate.

Counting of votes will take place on May 8.

In the 2008 Assembly elections, the BJP secured 33.86 per cent of votes but still managed to get 110 seats, compared to the Congress' 34.59 per cent which gave it only 80 seats. JDS, with 19.13 per cent, was third with 28 seats, while six independents were also victorious.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

JD(S) leader G T Devegowda backs CM Siddaramaiah in MUDA row, taunts HDK

News Network

October 4,2024

Mysuru: Chairman of JD(S) core committee and Chamundeshwari constituency MLA G T Devegowda on Thursday expressed his solidarity with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah saying the latter need not resign, while lambasting leaders of his own party and alliance partner BJP, including Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy.

In his speech during Mysuru Dasara inauguration he said that if persons against whom FIR is registered have to resign, many leaders from all the three parties, including Opposition Leader R Ashoka, will have to resign.

“All are sitting in glass houses... Since I know Siddaramaiah well, I am talking about him. At a time when mines and real estate are ruling politics, Siddaramaiah has survived in politics. He has never done any favour,” Devegowda said.

He added, “Allegations against Siddaramaiah are unexpected and accidental. If the Governor and Chief Justice order an investigation, it does not mean that he should resign."

He continued, asking, "Have they told Siddaramaiah to resign or have they asked to imprison him? When a person becomes a Central minister, he or she should realise their dignity and responsibility. Instead of recognising the good work done by Siddaramaiah, they ask him to resign. Will Kumarswamy (facing an FIR) resign? Should Siddaramaiah, who has become CM with a support of 135 MLAs, resign?"

"Opposition leaders are not remembering the good work of earlier CMs Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Veerendra Patil, Ramakrishna Hegde, H D Deve Gowda or S M Krishna. Karnataka is a model state. It is a bad trend to topple an elected government which is doing good work,” he further said.

Devegowda added, “Siddaramaiah is Goddess Chamundeshwari’s ‘Varaputra’ and hence has her blessings during tough times. He won the election in Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency, when the BJP-JD(S) government was in power in 2006. With the blessings of the Goddess, he has held varied positions right from becoming an MLA for the first time in 1983. He presented 15 budgets and has become CM for a second time. He took H C Mahadevappa, a Dalit leader to the state level. Siddaramaiah has the support of Deputy CM D K Shivakumar as ‘Jodeththu’. Blessings of the beneficiaries of guarantee schemes are with him (Siddaramaiah).”

Siddaramaiah said, “Devegowda was a MUDA member. He knows the truth. Hence, he is saying this. His words have filled strength in me. ‘Satyameva Jayate’, Truth will always triumph.”

Comments