Pics: Jeevan D'Costa

Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (JD)

Udupi, Apr 23: "I should thank BJP party workers for sending back a sitting MP, Shobha Karandlaje, through agitation and the 'go back' movement, despite her significant influence," said Tejaswini Gowda, Congress leader, during a public meeting in Kaup.

She further said, "The Constitution is our Bible, Quran, and Geeta. It proclaims the nation first, but today there is not a single photo of the nation in their manifesto. A house is made of words, not silence. Atal Bihari Vajpayee gained renown from the opposition party, not from the ruling party. J P Hegde diligently follows through with tasks he initiates. The INDI Alliance will surely come to power. Congress has sacrificed its leaders for the nation. If there is an option to leap from the audience gallery, it would be into the safest parliament in the world."

Vinay Kumar Sorake, chairman of the KPCC campaign committee, stated, "J P Hegde played a crucial role in the establishment of an independent Udupi district. His remarkable work as an MLA and MP is commendable. Despite serving for only two years, he visited every gram panchayat and left a lasting impact. The construction of the four-lane national highway was one of his aspirations, and the Congress government successfully fulfilled all five promises. The Fishermen community has also benefited from numerous projects. We are confident of winning more than 20 seats in Karnataka. J P Hegde and I collaborated closely during our tenures as MP and MLA. He played a significant role in my victory in Kaup."

Taking a swipe at Kota Srinivas Poojary, Vinay Kumar Sorake remarked, "Where did your caste calculations go when Kota Srinivas Poojary labelled me and Gopal Poojary as anti-nationals? Where were his caste considerations when the Narayana Guru tableau was rejected by the central government and subsequently removed from textbooks? Women should respond emphatically to those who dismiss guarantee schemes as mere handouts. Let us make history in Kaup."

Sudhir Kumar Murolli, KPCC spokesperson, remarked, "We can clearly discern the disparity between the 10 years of BJP government and the 10 months of Congress government. BJP seemed to have forgotten that there are human beings residing in this nation. The prime minister of the nation represents the entire nation. Kumaraswamy had an amicable relationship while in alliance with Congress. The people of Karnataka are well aware of who went out of their way during their tenure."

"Araga Jnanendra criticized Congress guarantees as 420. Araga Jnanendra, we have fulfilled our promises. What shall we call you now? What explanation do you have for the merger of Vijaya Bank and Syndicate Bank with other banks?"

"I believe Gurme Suresh Shetty is a dignified man. Despite numerous attempts, the people of Kaup have entrusted you with the opportunity to serve them. Make good use of it. You question JP's transition from Congress to BJP. He was an MP while in Congress previously. From which party did you switch to BJP?" Sudhir Kumar Murolli questioned.

Jayaprakash Hegde, Congress candidate for Udupi-Chikkamagaluru, addressed the gathering, stating, "In recent days, the court has lawfully intervened in matters concerning states. We should contemplate what we can do for the benefit of the people. Making statements is different from actual work. Our power lies not in sitting in Bengaluru or Delhi, but in serving the people. The local MLA insinuated that JP Hegde changed parties. Gurme Suresh Shetty, what have you done? Even if you attempted to contest for the MLA seat in Delhi alongside me, you were only coming to my office in Delhi. Yesterday, a new statement was made regarding caste calculations. My belief is that caste should be kept out of politics. You talk about Hindutva, but have you truly examined who your business partners are? People should consider who is available to them for their work."

Ahead of the public meeting, a bike rally was also organized by the Congress party workers, starting from Padubidri and concluding at Kaup town.

KPCC campaign committee chairman Vinay Kumar Sorake, fishermen Congress president Manjunath. Kaup block Congress president Naveen Chandra Suvarna, Fr William Martis, district women's Congress president Geetha Wagle, block women's Congress president Shanthalatha Shetty, district Congress campaign committee president Harish Kini and other leaders were present.