City leaders lash out at BJP

Mysore/Mysuru:Two days after KPCC Spokes-person M. Lakshmana was announced as the Congress candidate for Mysuru-Kodagu Lok Sabha (LS) seat, top Congress leaders of the city held a Meet-the-Press programme in a show of strength and unity  at a private hotel here this morning.

Speaking on the occasion, NR MLA Tanveer Sait said that Lakshmana is the Congress candidate from Mysuru-Kodagu LS seat, while the BJP has named Royal family member Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar as its candidate.

Maintaining that the Congress would not make any personal comments against the BJP candidate, Sait said it is the Congress Government which first introduced Guarantee schemes for the welfare of the poor and empowerment of women.

Asserting that the Congress would not bring in any religious or emotional issues to garner votes, the MLA said that the Congress is known for intellectual politics, unlike the BJP which brings in religious issues to the fore in the run up to elections.

Pointing out that the Congress Government has kept its words, he wanted the people to vote for the Congress candidate for bringing about real change in the Constituency.

Chamaraja MLA K. Harish-gowda said that the Congress has 5 MLAs in the Mysuru-Kodagu LS Constituency.

Pointing out that the Constituency is witnessing a direct contest between the Congress and BJP, he said that the Congress will highlight the corruption and maladministration  of the previous BJP Government.

Highlighting that the Congress will take its programmes to the doorsteps of the people, he said that CM Siddaramaiah has announced more than Rs. 900 crore grants to Mysuru, which happens to be his home district.

Contending that the Congress candidate Lakshmana is a clean hand, Harishgowda said that there seems to be no hurdles in Congress’ victory.

 He further said that while the BJP is banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name for getting votes, the Congress will ask for votes in the name of CM Siddaramaiah, AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge and KPCC President and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.

Continuing his tirade against the BJP, Harishgowda said the BJP has rendered injustice to Vokkaliga community by fielding only a couple of candidates from the community in the LS polls.

Rubbishing the opposition claims that the Congress has rendered injustice to upper castes, he charged the opposition of painting a wrong picture of the Congress in the minds of the people. However, the people are intelligent enough to see through the designs of the BJP, he added.

Former Hunsur MLA H.P. Manjunath ridiculed the BJPs ‘Ram Bhakti’ by stating that his deity was Madeshwara and so also that of CM Siddaramaiah and that the Congress need not learn what is ‘Bhakti’ from the BJP.

The Congress candidate Lakshmana, in his address, came down heavily against  the BJP saying that the Opposition party was engaged in spreading false narratives and propaganda against the State Congress Government.

Contending that Congress is the only party which can keep the country united, he appealed the people to throw out the Modi Government at the Centre and thus herald a new era of development, peace and prosperity.

Former MLA M.K. Somashekar, MLC Dr. D. Thimmaiah, Congress leader Dr. Shushruth Gowda, City Congress President R. Murthy, District President Dr. B. J. Vijaykumar and others were present at the programme.