Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Dec 14: MP and Karnataka state president of the BJP, Nalin Kumar Kateel, noted that the BJP had risen to power in 60 to 70 percent of the gram panchayats during the previous election. He called upon the people to strive for raising this percentage to 90 this time, to move emphatically towards 'rooting out' the Congress party from Dakshina Kannada district.

He was addressing the gathering after accepting the felicitation extended to him by Dakshina Kannada district unit of the BJP at the party's office in the city on Friday December 13 to congratulate him on his return to the city after successfully leading the party in the recent bypoll in which the party bagged 12 of the 15 seats.

"The people of the coastal districts and entire Karnataka have blessed us in a big way. It is our duty to justify the faith reposed by them on us by heeding to the problems they face. We need to undertake as many development projects as possible by making use of central and state grants.

"The Narendra Modi-led government, by passing Citizenship Ammendment Act, has effectively extended the blanket of protection to 1.5 crore Hindus. We are confident that Ram Mandir construction would be completed during the term of the current government," he said.

Nalin thanked chief minister, B S Yediyurappa, ministers, legislators and party workers alike for putting in efforts and achieving excellent result in the by election. He recollected that after being chosen to head the state BJP unit, he had expressed his intention to build the state unit of the party by organizing it the same way this was done in coastal districts.

"I was mocked at by some people then for saying so. We have infused strength and vigour in the booth level organizations of the party in coastal districts. We will do the same in the entire state by nominating Page Pramukhs. Our aim will be to win over 150 seats in the next assembly election. Immediately after taking over the post of the state BJP president, I had to handle Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike mayoral election, local bodies election, and bypoll. I have the satisfaction of handling them efficiently and successfully," he said.

On this occasion, Nalin also said that he had discussed the problems associated with national highway works in the district with the union minister on Thursday and that he has promised to sort out the issues in 15 days. He assured that works on new railway lines sanctioned here will begin soon, and that efforts to include Tulu in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution are continued in right earnest.

Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister, Kota Srinivas Poojary, MLAs, D Vedavyas Kamath, Dr Y Bharath Shetty and Sanjeeva Matandoor, in-charge of Mangaluru division of BJP, Uday Kumar Shetty, zilla panchayat president, Meenakshi Shantigodu, vic epresident, Kasturi Panja, former MLA, Yogeesh Bhat and others were present. Ravishankar Mijar compered the programme.