Bengaluru: With Lok Sabha elections for 14 out of the 28 LS seats in the State just 4 days away, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and AICC President Rahul Gandhi held back-to-back rallies in the State and traded charges against each other.

While Rahul Gandhi addressed rallies in Kolar, Chitradurga and K.R. Nagar, Modi addressed rallies in Mangaluru and Bengaluru.

Addressing a BJP rally at Bengaluru, Modi launched a blistering attack on the Congress-JD(S) coalition Government in Karnataka.

Questioning the ruling partners for protesting against the series of Income-Tax raids, Modi sought to know what they had to fear if they were law abiding.

Pointing out that people who did not commit any mistake had nothing to fear, Modi said “why fear if you haven’t committed any theft?”

Taking a jibe at the ‘dynastic politics’ of the Congress and JD(S), the PM said while his party was for “Antyodaya” (upliftment of  the poor), the Congress, JD(S) and Mahagathbandhan leaders were for ‘Vamshodaya.’

Tearing down into the State’s coalition Government, Modi said that his Antyodaya politics was directed at the betterment of the Country and the last man in society, while ‘Vamshodaya’ of the Opposition parties was for pursuing corrupt and dynastic politics.

Earlier, speaking at a rally in Mangaluru, Modi charged the previous UPA Government of putting the banking sector on         a ventilator.

Maintaining that the loans given by the UPA Government between 2004 and 2014 were double that of those disbursed between 1947 and 2004, Modi said the Congress had mined the banking sector.

Emphasizing on the need to end ‘Mahamilavat’ (Adulterated) culture of Congress, he called upon the people to vote for the BJP.

Asserting that the BJP would provide a ‘Mazboot’ (Strong) Government, as against the ‘Majboor’ (helpless) Government that the Congress and its allies would provide, Modi said the 21st century is punishing the Congress for its maladministration and loot.

“India’s image has improved in foreign countries, not because of Modi, but because of your vote,” he said and appealed the gathering to come out in huge numbers and vote for BJP candidates.

Rahul’s rally in K.R. Nagar

AICC President Rahul Gandhi said on Saturday said that while people lost jobs and incurred losses due to the wrong policies of the NDA Government headed by PM Modi, like demonetisation and GST, the Congress party’s proposed Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY), a minimum income guarantee scheme, will give justice to the affected.

Addressing a joint poll rally at the Krishnaraja College Grounds in K.R. Nagar, Mysuru district yesterday, Rahul Gandhi taunted PM Modi saying that there were 22 lakh jobs lying vacant in the Government and public sector and the Congress would fill up the posts in one year if voted        to power.

Maintaining that NYAY is intended to eradicate poverty, Gandhi said it will provide jobs to the youth and steps will be taken to create an additional 10 lakh jobs in the Panchayat Raj System if the Congress was elected to power.

Upping his ante against Modi, Rahul said the ‘Chowkidar is a chor’ and the ‘Chowkidar’ had been sulking ever since the Congress announced its ‘NYAY’ scheme, which is going to be a surgical strike on poverty.

Pointing out that the Congress will present a separate agriculture budget if voted to power, Rahul alleged that the ‘Chowkidar’ (PM Modi) has given his thieving friends crores of money.

He further alleged that ‘Modi’s friends’ were stealing money from the pockets of farmers and small businessmen.

JD(S) supremo and former PM H.D. Deve Gowda, in his address, maintained that the ‘charisma’ of the coalition government would remain only if the coalition candidates win in at least 20 out of the 28 LS seats in the State and the workers of both the parties must realise this.

Alleging that PM Modi was out to destroy the Country’s economy, Deve Gowda maintained that the Constitution would be under threat if Modi is re-elected.

Claiming that he and CLP leader Siddharamaiah had come together for the sake of maintaining the Country’s secular credentials and to keep the communal BJP at bay, the JD(S) supremo appealed the workers of both the parties to carry out an united campaign and ensure maximum seats for coalition partners in the LS polls.

The rally held in favour of JD(S)-Congress candidates of Mysuru region, was aimed at sending a message to the workers of the coalition partners to work unitedly for the victory of alliance candidates.

Even though part of Mysuru District, K.R. Nagar comes under Mandya LS Constituency, it is strategically located and is the meeting point of Mysuru, Hassan and Mandya districts. The rally is expected to give a boost to the workers of both the Congress and JD(S).

CLP leader and former CM Siddharamaiah, CM H.D. Kumaraswamy, Water Resources Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Congress Parliamentary party leader Mallikarjun Kharge and KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao too addressed the rally.

Hassan JD(S) candidate Prajwal Revanna, Ministers G.T. Devegowda, S.R. Mahesh and C.S. Puttaraju, former Minister H.K. Patil and Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa, MLAs Anil Chikkamadu and K. Mahadev, MLC Dharmasena and other top leaders from both the parties were present.