Udupi-Chikmaglur: Jayaprakash Hegde holds whirlwind campaign in Banakal-Balur

Team Udayavani, Apr 15, 2024, 7:27 PM IST

Kottigehara: Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency Congress candidate K Jayaprakash Hegde led a vigorous election campaign in Banakal, Balur Hobli on Monday. He organized an open meeting at Banakal KM Road in the afternoon and conducted an election campaign in the evening at Balur.

During an open campaign meeting, Hegde raised concerns about the delayed highway work and directed questions at Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje, the current MP from the constituency. He highlighted that despite approval a decade ago, the highway projects remained incomplete, causing inconvenience to the public.

“The state highway here was approved when I was an MP, and then Oscar Fernandes was the Minister of Land Transport. I wrote a letter about the Kadur-Chikkamagaluru-Moodigere-BC road, Tumkur to Shimoga, and Tirthahalli to Malpe road works and got them approved. It’s been 10 years since, yet work is not complete. Does a road need 10 years to build? How much has the cost escalated due to the delay? How many accidents have happened?” he asked.

Hegde expressed frustration over the delay in the works of the highway underpass in Udupi, leading to daily traffic congestion. “The highway underpass is being constructed in Udupi, but the work has halted for years. People experience traffic jams every day,” he expressed his anger.

“Fishermen leaders had questioned the MP (Karandlaje) in Udupi. Then, she evasively asked why they did not question Jayaprakash Hegde. I had only two years. if I had gotten another five years, I would have already completed the work,” he retorted.

“BJP candidate Kota Srinivas Pujari has said that he will do development work like MP Shobha Karandlaje. That means she didn’t do it and he won’t either,” Hegde said critiquing BJP candidate Kota Srinivas Poojary’s promises to emulate Karandlaje’s development efforts.

Highlighting the significance of the Kadur-BC road, Hegde urged prompt action by elected representatives to expedite its completion.

The campaign event was attended by MLA Nayana Motamma, former Minister Motamma, B B Ningiah, former MLA M P Kumaraswamy, Block Congress President Surendra Gowda, and local leaders.