The next Assembly elections will be fought under the joint leadership of B.S. Yeddiyurappa and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, BJP State unit president Nalin Kumar Kateel said in Gokak, Belagavi district, on Wednesday.
He was speaking at a BJP Sankalpa Yatre rally.
The BJP will face the coming Assembly polls under the leadership of these two leaders. While Mr. Yeddiyurappa will provide guidance, Mr. Bommai will lead the party. “That is how we are going to win 150 seats in the State and come back to power,” he said.
“Such coordinated effort is not found in the Congress, however. There are Kabaddi and musical chair competitions going on there. There is infighting between the gangs led by Siddaramaiah and D.K. Shivakumar. In the last elections, the Siddaramaiah gang tried to defeat candidates chosen by Shivakumar and the Shivakumar gang tried to defeat those chosen by Siddaramaiah. You will never find such things in the BJP. We are a highly disciplined party,’’ he said.
Mr. Kateel said that he could already see the results of the Assembly election in connection with three Congress leaders. While Satish Jarkiholi will have to leave his seat as Ramesh Jarkiholi will ensure the victory of BJP leaders in all 18 seats, Mr. Siddaramaiah will have no constituency to contest from. He is unwanted in Badami and Mysuru. He is unwelcome in Kolar. Hence, he has no where to go. Similarly, Priyank Kharge will lose the elections in his own seat. The Congress will be washed out completely, he said.
He reiterated his charge that Mr. Siddaramaiah is a “man-eater chief minister”. During his reign, over 3,000 farmers committed suicide. Vithal Arabhavi, a farmer, ended his life in front of the Suvarna Soudha. But Mr. Siddaramaiah did not release any compensation to his family. At least 24 Hindu activists were killed in the State. There were murders in Mangaluru, Mysuru and Bengaluru. But they were neither properly investigated nor the victim families compensated. The then Chief Minister, however, chose to release compensation to the family of a cow slaughterer in Sringeri who was shot dead by the police, Mr. Kateel said.
The State BJP president said that Mr. Siddaramaiah had taken away the powers of the Lokayukta to investigate corruption, as he was afraid he would be caught. Now, the Bommai government is rejuvenating the Lokayukta. If the Congress leaders have any specific complaints of corruption against any Minister or leader, let them approach the Lokayukta. “We will ensure that the guilty is sent to jail,’’ he said.
He said that the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had introduced so many welfare schemes for the poor that they are being protected from birth to death. From Matru Vandane Scheme that helps pregnant women to PM Awas, Kisan Samman, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya power supply scheme, Fasal Bima, Ghar Ghar Gange and even subsidised toilet construction, the Centre has woven a safety net to help the poor all through, he said.
He said that the Modi government has supplied COVID-19 vaccines to half the world and ensured universal vaccination in India. “That is why we came out of the epidemic so easily,” he said. He said that the Central government will change the face of the Indian health care system by establishing one medical college in each district.
Mr. Ramesh Jarkiholi, Sanjay Patil and others were present.
