Yediyurappa to lead BJP agitation from July 4 against Cong govt demanding implementation of poll guarantees

PTI, Jun 25, 2023, 6:26 PM IST

Announcing that BJP will hold protests both inside and outside the Assembly during legislature session, demanding the Congress government in the state to implement its poll guarantees, veteran party leader B S Yediyurappa on Sunday said he will lead agitations in front of Gandhi statue at Vidhana Soudha, from July 4.

The former Chief Minister also called on the party workers and leaders to prepare for 2024 Lok Sabha and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections and ensure that BJP wins. ”In Karnataka elections people believed in their (Congress) guarantee card, they got deceived, as a result of it we (BJP) could not win in over 100 seats.

We will protest both inside and outside the Assembly against this government’s anti farmer and anti people policies, and its failure in implementing five guarantees within 24 hours, as promised,” Yediyurappa said. Addressing the party meeting here, he said the government so far has implemented only one guarantee of free travel for women in public transport buses, with lots of conditions, which is an insult to women folk.

”We have to organise protests or agitations at every step against this Congress government which has betrayed the people and teach them a lesson. We have 66 members in the Assembly, which is not less, so we have to fight inside the House,” Yediyurappa said, as he recalled how he single handedly fought against the policies of the government as the lone BJP MLA in the past. Calling on the party leaders and workers to ensure that the party wins the Lok Sabha polls and comes to power in the BBMP elections, he asked them to come on to the streets, demanding the Congress government to implement their guarantee card in toto. ”It has already been one-and-a-half months since coming to power. You (Congress) are still dilly dallying,” he said.

”I call on our workers to spread awareness among people going door to door,” he added. ”As soon as Assembly session starts, after the Governor’s address — from July 4, along with thousands of our workers I will hold demonstration in front of Gandhi statue at Vidhana Soudha, from morning till evening, until the session ends, demanding Congress government to implement five guarantees promised, or to quit from power,” Yediyurappa said. The Legislature Session is scheduled from July 3 to 14, which will also see the new government tabling a fresh budget. Speaking about Siddaramaiah government’s ‘Anna Bhagya’ scheme, which promises to provide 10 kg free rice for poor, the BJP parliamentary board member said, ”5kgs of rice is being given by Modi government, your promise of 10 kg rice should be in addition to the what is being given by the Centre.”

”You (Congress) have to keep up your promise, if not quit from power….intoxicated by power those in government are speaking whatever they want, this won’t be allowed to continue,” he said. All party leaders will participate in the agitations, along with workers from every part of Bengaluru each day, to caution this government. ”We should make people aware and ensure that they remove this government at the earliest,” he said. Yediyurappa also asked the party cadres and leaders to prepare for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike elections. ”Lok Sabha polls are ahead of us and we have the responsibility to make Narendra Modi, who is loved globally, the Prime Minister once again, and I have the confidence that we will make honest efforts to win all the Lok Sabha seats and will be successful in that,” he said.

Noting that he is turning 81 years of age, he said, ”I will be travelling across the state with all our leaders together, aimed at winning all the seats and giving it to Modi as a gift, and in the same way win the BBMP elections with a clear majority and run the administration in the city.” Pointing out that BJP is in power in 14 states in the country, while Congress in only five, Yediyurappa said the party which has a leader like Modi, who is respected across the globe should not face a setback. Taking a dig at leaders of opposition parties, who met in Bihar recently, he said, ”your conspiracies won’t work, people of this country are aware, they have the capability to decide what is right and wrong ….if you were honest you should have said that Modi, who is respected and loved globally, should be elected as PM unanimously.”