Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK)
Mangaluru Apr 24: District Congress MP candidate Padmaraj R said, "Elections are a festival of democracy. I extend my gratitude to all national, state, and district leaders of the Congress for their unwavering support in appointing me as the MP candidate of the district."
Addressing the media on the final day of campaigning on Wednesday, April 24, he said, “I have always emphasized the importance of not spreading hatred. Today, as we visit door-to-door for the campaign and witness the love, affection, faith, and expectations from the people, we are confident that we will breach the BJP fortress in the district, which has stood for 33 years. The BJP has never focused on development during elections; instead, they have propagated hatred, spread misinformation, and fueled conflicts based on caste and religion through provocative speeches.
“This time, people are expecting change, and Congress will regain power in the district after 33 years.
"BJP is aware that they cannot win in the name of development. Since 1991, they have been fostering conflict in the name of religion and caste, leading many youngsters to end up in jail and their households in dire straits.
"People have continued to give them opportunities since 1991, but there have been no changes. This time, the BJP is facing elections in the name of Hindutva and Modi.
"As a Hindu, I have been taught to love my religion and respect other religions too.
"We have several infrastructures—airport, port, road, railway—but when it comes to development, the district has not progressed under the BJP MP.
"We have a lot of opportunity and potential to develop tourism through our culture, hill stations, and many more attractions. Mangaluru is a place where we are qualified to keep the city open for 20 hours, similar to Mumbai. However, due to the BJP spreading hatred and making this district communal-sensitive, we could not make this a reality, which has caused many investors to step back and hindered job generation.
"We need to rectify this situation and restore the glory of Mangaluru. We must ensure that youths who are working away from Mangaluru, separated from their parents, are brought back by creating job opportunities and inviting investors.
"We are also confident that Congress will regain power at the central level, and without a doubt, Congress will come back to power in Dakshina Kannada after 33 years," he said.
When asked about adding the surname ‘Poojary’ to his name, Padmaraj R responded, “Spreading misinformation has been a habit of the BJP. They even spread misinformation about my name, claiming that I don't belong to the Billawa community. However, even in my school records, my name includes the surname 'Poojary’. Due to this misinformation, I had to add the surname 'Poojary'."
Regarding Nalin’s statement that Congress needs to visit at night to see BJP's development, Padmaraj commented, “There's no need to visit at night; even during the day, we can see the development. Just look at the highway, and you'll understand. We all know how many years the MP took to complete the flyover.”
Former MLC Ivan D’Souza, Congress leaders Praveen Chandra Alva, Shashidhar Hegde, Mahabala Maarla and others were present.