Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal (SP)

Bantwal, Feb 20: As part of the ‘Vijaya Deesha' campaign undertaken by the Congress across the state in preparation for the coming Loksabha election, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president R V Deshpande inaugurated a public meeting organized as part of this campaign here on Thursday February 19. He said, the BJP does not have the moral right to either analyze the heritage of the Congress party, achievement of its leaders and sacrifices made by them.

Although the Congress failed to rise to power in the state, 35% of voters backed the party in the last election. BJP got the support of 33% voters while the JD (S) was supported by only 10% of voters of the state. Hence, although the Congress did not get enough legislators to form a government on its own, it has won the hearts of the people, he analyzed.

"Even though there are differences of opinion among the party leaders, we promise the people that we will unite under a single umbrella for achieving the progress of our land," he declared. He derided the BJP for failing to implement its manifesto of providing rice to poor people at two rupees a kg, issuing of BPL ration cards etc., and also for firing at farmers who demanded supply fertilizers. "The BJP leaders have looted the state's resources," he charged.

MLA and district Congress president B Ramanath Rai who presided over the function, stressed the need for the party leaders to come together and strengthen the party to ensure that harmonious relationships return to the district.

Scores of Congress leaders including KPCC secretary Manjunath Bhandary, taluk panchayat president Chandrahas Shetty, ex-Mangalore mayor Shashidhar Hegde etc., were present.

Ex-MLC Jalaja Naik, ex-MP Vinay Kumar Sorake, K Harikrishna Bantwal, Kodijal Ibrahim and M G Hegde also spoke on the occasion.

Speaking to reporters during his visit to the home of Ramanath Rai later, Deshpande said Operation Kamala will boomerang on the BJP as its sincere and long-standing workers have become restless and frustrated at accommodating newcomers in important positions. “They can buy the legislators but not the voters,” he declared.