Mysuru: Maintaining that no one can stop the JD(S) from forming Government in alliance with the BJP in the 2028 State Assembly polls, Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries and JD(S) State President H.D. Kumaraswamy (HDK) said that the JD(S) will blow the poll bugle for the forthcoming ZP and TP polls from Mysuru district itself.

He was addressing a meeting of District party leaders and workers at Sa.Ra. Convention Hall at Dattagalli in city yesterday.

Asserting that party organisation is key for ensuring success in any poll, HDK, who is also the former Karnataka Chief Minister, stressed on the need for holding a mass membership drive ahead of the ZP, TP and other local bodies polls. Noting that the JD(S) has the strength to rise like a Phoenix bird, he said that this has been proved on many occasions.

‘Our party is not based on individual leaders. The JD(S) is a party that has been built by workers and farmers. I have not seen such a bad Government than the present Congress Government in Karnataka. The Government seems to be running only on the Five Guarantees and the 15 percent bus fare hike has come as a bolt to the people of the State,’ he said adding that the Congress Government takes pleasure in introducing price hikes on the stroke of midnight.

Arguing that the monthly Rs. 2,000 given to woman heads of families under ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ scheme would not have any meaning if price hikes are done regularly, Kumaraswamy said he would have given Rs. 5,000 had he been the Chief Minister.

Stating that contractors are being driven to suicides because of  harassment by ruling party leaders and officials, HDK wanted to know what answer the Siddaramaiah Government can give to a mercy death  plea made by a contractor to the Chief Minister.

Calling upon party-men to hit the streets for taking on the Congress Government, he motivated them to enrol 50 lakh new members in the State, with the launch of a one lakh membership drive in the district on Jan. 15, a day after Sankranti festival. Highlighting   the contributions of party supremo and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda to the State and the country, he contended that Deve Gowda worked as per Constitutional aspirations and in a truly secular manner.

HDK lashed out at the Congress Government over many issues including serial deaths of lactating mothers, bus fare hike, corruption charges, contractor deaths etc.

Commenting on the absence of senior party leader and Chamundeshwari MLA G.T. Devegowda (GTD), HDK said, “GTD may not be there in the meeting. But I can understand that his mind is clearly in the JD(S) party he has nurtured for long. Our differences are not that big as made out to be and we will sit down to resolve the differences.”

JD(S) Working President and former Minister S.R. Mahesh vented out his anger against the Congress and questioned whether the party had contributed more for the development of Mysuru and the region, than the erstwhile royal family members. He also said that it is shameful to note that the Siddaramaiah Government does not have any regards or respect for the erstwhile Mysuru rulers.

Hunsur MLA G.D. Harish Gowda lashed out at the Congress Government saying that the Government was indeed running on Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar Investigation Team (SSIT), which was  targeting the Opposition BJP and JD(S) in the State.

Stating that the people know how the Congress won the recently held by polls in the State, Harish Gowda expressed concern that corruption and maladministration had returned to MCDCC Bank.

Lashing out at the Siddaramaiah Government for destroying the Co-operation sector, he said that a delegation headed by JD(S) youth leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy met the concerned Union Minister for addressing issues concerning tobacco farmers.

As a result, the tobacco companies which were hesitant to procure tobacco from farmers, are now coming forward to purchase tobacco at Rs. 240 -260 a Kg, which is a good development.

“We can build the party by making more such efforts and coming to the rescue of distressed farmers and the common man”, he said adding that the Party must be poll ready by propagating the good works of H.D. Kumaraswamy.

MLCs C.N. Manjegowda and K. Vivekananda, former MLAs K. Mahadev and M. Ashwin Kumar, former Corporator Prema Shankaregowda and others were present.