Don’t take political opponents lightly in LS polls, warns Karnataka BJP chief

PTI, Jan 28, 2024, 8:27 AM IST

Credit: X / @BYVijayendra / File

Bengaluru: Warning partymen and leaders not to take political opponents lightly, Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra on Saturday exhorted them to put the party-led NDA government’s achievements before the people and tirelessly work for its victory in the coming Lok Sabha polls.

Asserting that the target before the party is the elections, he said the polls may be announced anytime in April and the party men should not rest or sit at home until the polls are over and should work towards winning all 28 seats in the state.

Vijayendra was speaking after the inauguration of the State BJP’s Special Executive meeting which was held under his leadership here.

The BJP-led government at the Centre under the leadership of Narendra Modi has in the last nine and a half years put forward clear ideas and given good governance without allowing corruption, and it is working towards making this country among the leading nations of the world, he said.

Hitting out at the Congress, Vijayendra said while the partymen in the state were making a ”noise” that they had not received the invitation for the consecration of the Lord Ram’s idol at the grand temple in Ayodhya, their central leadership had decided not to go to Ayodhya despite the invitation.

He also accused the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government of taking ”revenge” against Hindu workers or activists in the state.

In the eight months of this government, the law and order situation in Karnataka has completely deteriorated, the BJP state chief alleged and said that on the other hand, the Congress government is not responding to the plight of the farmers and had completely failed in managing the drought situation.

”Despite more than 500 farmers commiting suicide in the state, the Chief Minister did not show any concern towards farmers,” he claimed and said that no development programme is being implemented in the state.

Vijayendra also called the Congress government in the state anti-people, anti-farmer and anti-Dalit.

They are under the illusion about winning the Lok Sabha polls with their half-baked poll guarantees, he said. BJP workers while taking the Modi government’s pro-people schemes and programmes to every doorstep, should also inform people as to how the corrupt Congress government is doing injustice to them.

Member of the Central Parliamentary Board and former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, Union Ministers Bhupender Yadav, Pralhad Joshi, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Bhagawanth Khuba, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R Ashoka, former chief ministers Basavaraj Bommai, D V Sadananda Gowda, Jagadish Shettar and several other party leaders and legislators were present at the meet.

Yediyurappa, in his address, said the upcoming Lok Sabha polls will be the major test for the party.

”In 2019, 26 seats (including one independent supported by the party) were won. It was the will of the people. This time, by winning 28 out of 28 constituencies, we have to contribute to Narendra Modi’s victory,” he said.

The former CM said the Congress government, which came to power by misleading the people, is involved in internal conflicts and due to their quarrel, the administration has collapsed, and corruption is rampant.

He said, ”no development work was going on. In spite of this, they are playing tricks to gain votes in the wrong way. We have to convince people about the reality.” ”People are fed up with this government and are cursing it. This government has not been able to wipe the tears of farmers during drought. It has failed to protect the dignity of girls. Anarchy is rampant in the state. It is impossible to sit still watching all this. Let’s fight on behalf of the people and the state,” he added.

Bhupender Yadav called upon the party men to raise the issue of Congress coming to power in Karnataka through false guarantees, before the people, when they go for Lok Sabha election campaign.

People of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh have rejected the Congress party’s false guarantees, he said, while expressing confidence that Modi will become the Prime Minister again with 400 seats in the next Lok Sabha elections.

”…the Congress party is getting decimated in the country’s politics, by mistake they came to power in Karnataka. In this executive we should resolve to root it out from the state too and carry forward BJP’s works and programmes,” he said.

”The Congress party divided the country on the basis of religion. The Congress party, which divided the country into minority and majority vote-banks, completely ignored development,” he alleged and said the Congress has only done minority appeasement politics.