‘No meaning for Congress guarantees when that party’s warranty itself has expired’

Mysore/Mysuru: Campaigning is gaining momentum for the Assembly elections with less than a fortnight left. Electioneering is in full swing as political leaders across party lines have intensified their campaigning to woo voters.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi this morning held a virtual interaction with 50 lakh party workers. BJP workers from over 58,000 booths joined the meeting. In Mysuru, the interaction was held at a packed Samrat Kalyana Mantap in Kuvempunagar where booth-level party workers, BJP candidates, MLAs and other party functionaries attended.

Addressing the party workers, PM Modi said, “I will visit Karnataka in a couple of days to receive the blessings of the people. BJP leaders, who have campaigned, have said that they received a lot of affection from the people there. This shows people’s confidence in BJP.”

While the focus of other parties was on grabbing power, the BJP is preparing a young team in Karnataka to lead the State’s development in the next 25 years, the PM said.

“We do not think about five years of our own rule but think about the country. We don’t think just about present electoral politics but about taking India ahead in the next 25 years,” he said.

“The young team will give leadership to the development journey of the State in the future. It is our effort to make numerous global hubs in Karnataka like Bengaluru. Your effort in every booth will make BJP win with record seats,” he said.

The Prime Minister also used the opportunity to lash out against the freebie culture, which he alleged was being promoted by Congress out of desperation and fear of defeat. He asked what was the meaning of its guarantees when that party’s warranty itself has expired.

He said a country cannot be run like this (promising freebies) as it would result in debts. “These political parties don’t think about the future of the country, the future generation of Karnataka, its youth and women,” Modi said.

Freebie culture and the resultant debts are eating into the share of future generations. “Governments have to think about the future, along with the present. Governments cannot run just for day-to-day needs, they have to work on asset creation so that the lives of families are on track for decades,”   he added.

State BJP in-Charge Arun Singh, New Delhi BJP Vice-President Rajiv Babbar, Krishnaraja BJP candidate T.S. Srivatsa, current BJP MLA S.A. Ramdas, Party State Vice-President M. Rajendra, Mysore Paints and Varnish Chairman Raghu Kautilya and others were present.