Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that it is the people of Karnataka that are contesting the state elections on behalf of the Bharatiya Janata Party, as he blamed the Congress for impeding the development of the country.
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In the last leg of campaigning for the May 10 elections, the PM held a 26-km-long roadshow in Bengaluru, and addressed two public rallies at Badami in Bagalkote district and Haveri.
The roadshow began at Someshwara Sabha Bhavan, Konanakunte, in Bommanahalli assembly constituency around 10am and culminated at Kadu Malleshwara temple, in Malleswaram, at around 1.30pm, having traversed 13 assembly constituencies.
“What I saw in Bengaluru, I say with confidence that this election is neither Modi contesting, nor BJP leaders or our candidates, it is the election the people of Karnataka are fighting on behalf of the BJP. I see the total control of the election in the hands of people,” the Prime Minister said at the rally in Bagalkote.
“This morning, I went to have a ‘darshan’ (opportunity to see) of ‘janata janardhan’ (public god) in Bengaluru,” he said, adding that the “never-seen-before love and affection” is unparalleled.
According to BJP functionaries, nearly one million people lined both sides of the road along the route of the PM’s roadshow. Hundreds of thousands of people were waiting on either side of the road, even as BJP workers showered flowers on the PM.
The PM also pitched for the BJP’s “double-engine” government as he hit out at former chief minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah.
“I have heard that Siddaramaiah is saying that whatever development has happened in the last 3.5 years was due to his government’s efforts. His confessional statement is self-explanatory that if there is anyone who does the work then it is the double-engine government and does so without discrimination,” the PM said.
“Siddaramaiah has left this place leaving you all. He has sensed which direction the wind is blowing. If he comes here by chance, ask him one question why people were deprived of basic infrastructure earlier,” Modi said.
Siddaramaiah won from the Badami constituency in Bagalkote district in the 2018 election, but this year, the Kuruba leader is contesting from Varuna in Mysore district.
It is the BJP government’s work which has benefitted the people of this region, Modi said.
“For the first time, the people of Bagalkote got three lakh tapped water connections. Over 25,000 people of Bagalkote got their own cement house. Ayushman Bharat scheme benefits reached the people of Bagalkote,” Modi told the crowd.
The Congress, the PM said, has a “track record of 85% commission” and the party can never work to serve the people.
Modi said former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi had said that when one rupee “rolls” from Delhi, only 85 paise reaches the people. “Whose claw was it that eats away 85 paise from one rupee? This was the Congress way of functioning. Due to the misdeeds of Congress, India lagged behind for so many decades,” he said.
“The BJP used the trident of Aadhaar, mobile phone and Jan-Dhan account that their (Congress’) old habits have been completely destroyed,” he said.
At his second rally of the day, in Haveli district, PM Modi said the people should visit the state to see if the Congress “still has something left”.
“The people of Congress who were trying to make their party’s wave through lies in Karnataka, their lies are now lost in the BJP wave,” he said.
“Congress’ appeasement, and talaabandi (ban) politics have been realised by each and every person. Congress means total corruption, 85 per cent commission, appeasement politics, bowing before the terrorists and working on a ‘Divide and Rule’ formula. The OBC and Lingayat community are very sad and angry with the abuse by senior leaders of Congress,” he said.
He also hailed former CM BS Yediyuarappa and chief minister Basavaraj Bommai for “filling the gaps” left by the former Congress regime.
“Today Haveri is moving ahead to write a story of development. The Yediyurappa and Bommai-led double-engine government is filling the gaps in Congress tenure in all these years. It has brought new medical and engineering colleges and a new milk plant in Haveri. The BJP government is investing in road, rail and connectivity infrastructure. People of Haveri, Karnataka, and the whole country are benefitting from these works,” PM Modi said.
The BJP has often used the “double-engine” government pitch to highlight benefits of voting the party in at both the state and Centre.
The Congress responded by calling PM Modi a “master of distortion”, and accused him of caring only for his “grand tamasha”.
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Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that ambulances were stuck on roads due to the chaos caused by the PM’s roadshow and said that Modi should cancel the second part of the roadshow slated for Sunday.
“The Master Of Distortion and Incitement (’Abuse’ No. 92??) is arriving in Bengaluru today. We already know what he’ll say to inflame prejudice and bigotry,” Ramesh said on Twitter ahead of Modi’s roadshow.
In a second tweet, after Modi’s roadshow ended, Ramesh said, “Ambulances stuck, chaos on road! If the PM has any shame left or even an iota of concern for the people of Bengaluru, he would immediately cancel part 2 of the #40km40percent roadshow tomorrow. But we all know that all he cares for is his Grand Tamasha.”