Bengaluru: Building tempo for the BJP’s Lok Sabha poll battle in Karnataka with alliance partner JD(S), Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday, in a bid to iron out differences over ticket allocation in four Lok Sabha Constituencies, held a meeting with disgruntled BJP leaders from Chitradurga, Davangere, Tumakuru and Chikkaballapur Constituencies and asked them to fall in line and work unitedly to ensure the victory of PM Modi in every seat of the State.

Shah asked them to set aside differences with party nominees. According to sources, Shah during the meeting, clarified that candidate selection was based on the ‘winnability’ factor and not on anyone’s recommendations. He also told leaders to perform in the elections to secure their own future in the party.

Shah, along with party veteran B.S. Yediyurappa, State BJP Chief B.Y. Vijayendra and Opposition leader R. Ashoka, chose to sit with district-level leaders, rather than preside over them from a dais. Former Minister J.C. Madhuswamy who has differences over the party’s Tumakuru nominee V.  Somanna, was the only ‘disgruntled’ leader who skipped the meeting, the sources added.

Earlier in the day, Shah chaired a crucial BJP-JD(S) core committee meeting during which he urged the functionaries of both the parties to collaborate effectively to prevent Congress from winning. Shah directed them to establish Co-ordination Committees in each seat to ensure a unified campaign.

Shah later addressed a convention of representatives from BJP’s Shakti Kendras (cluster of booths) from the Lok Sabha constituencies of Bangalore- North, South, Central and Rural and Chikkaballapur at the Palace grounds. He launched an allout attack on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, charging them of neglecting the interests of the State owing to their power tussle.

Shah also accused the two leaders of politicising the issue of drought relief assistance from the Centre.

“The Chief Minister is busy trying to save his chair, while the Deputy CM is busy trying to snatch the chair from him. The Congress Government is neither bothered about development of the State nor protecting the interests of the people”, Shah said.

Speaking about drought, Shah accused the Congress Government of delay in sending the memorandum to the Centre for assistance by at least three months.

Referring to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) kicking in, Shah maintained that the drought assistance issue is now before the Election Commission. But the Congress Government is politicis ing it, he alleged.

On the Congress Government’s charge that the Centre had discriminated against Karnataka in devolution of taxes and funds, Shah claimed that the State had received only Rs.1,42,000 crore during the 10-year rule of the UPA Government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. “But in the last 10 years, the Modi Government has given Rs.4,91,000 crore to Karnataka. In addition, Rs.25,000 crore has been given for development of National Highways and Rs.12,000 crore for development of Airports”, he said while accusing the UPA regime of large scale corruption in its 10 year rule from 2004 to 2014.

Asserting that 3.5 crore people in Karnataka have received individual benefits through various Central Government schemes, Shah said “ If anybody has developed Bengaluru, it is the Modi Government.”

Maintaining that the BJP-led NDA Government stands distinct from the Opposition’s INDIA Bloc, Shah labelled the Opposition alliance as ‘Parivarvaadis’ (dynasty) and ‘Bhrashtacharis’                                      (corrupt individuals).”

PM Modi has consistently dedicated himself to serving Bharat, never taking a single day off, while Rahul Gandhi tends to travel abroad when summer approaches”, he said adding that Congress leaders struggle to locate Rahul every six months.

Referring to ‘INDIA Bloc’s ‘Save Democracy’ rally in New Delhi, Shah said it was not aimed at saving Democracy, but rather to protect ‘Parivarvaad’  and the corrupt.

He highlighted PM Modi’s promise during the 2014 LS polls to prosecute those involved in scams when UPA Government led by Congress was at the helm.

Responding to Opposition charges of witch hunting by the Modi Government, the Union Home Minister shot back saying “Are we not duty-bound to hold corrupt individuals accountable?.”