Media Release
Udupi, Apr 6: "We have regressed twenty years due to the lack of development in the past decade," remarked K Jayaprakash Hegde, the Congress candidate for the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha Constituency.
On Saturday, April 6, Hegde participated in activist meetings organized by the Brahmavar block Congress and conducted election campaigns.
Addressing the gathering, he stated, "While the previous MPs had a tenure of 10 years, I have only had a 2-year term. Despite this, I have successfully secured approval for many road projects during this brief period. However, subsequent MPs have failed to complete these projects. In most cases, it seems like the works are for the contractors rather than the contractors working for the projects. If the projects were completed within the stipulated period when the government grant is received, costs could be minimized.
"I oversaw the construction of Kallianpur Santhekatte Hoode Road and Moodukudru Padukudru Bridges during my tenure. While my time in office was marked by tangible achievements, BJP MPs have little to show for their terms, resulting in rare visits to our area. If I were to seek votes solely in the name of a national leader, it wouldn't be a vote for me, and I would lack motivation to work for the constituency. This would perpetuate a cycle where national leaders' names are invoked during elections, but development remains stagnant.
"They promised to create two crore jobs annually, yet not a single job has materialized. Instead, existing public enterprises have been privatized, leading to job losses. Every family benefits from the state government's guarantee schemes. However, the BJP MPs elected from our state have failed to address the state's issues at the national level. What good are such parliamentarians to us? True development can only occur with MPs who are connected to the people and responsive to their needs. There is no greater reward for us than seeing the joy on people's faces when their problems are addressed by their elected representatives.
"A parliamentarian's role is to represent both the country and the constituency in parliament. If elected as an MP, I will diligently work towards providing employment opportunities to the people here by promoting eco-friendly tourism and industries in the constituency. A tailored plan must be devised for the development of fishermen, as there has been no progress in this area for the past decade, pushing us back twenty years.
"The Congress's Nyay guarantee includes a promise of caste census, which will enable youth and students to access reservation benefits. Unfortunately, the BJP opposes such initiatives for political gain, disregarding the welfare of the people. We should vote with the guarantee schemes of the state government in mind, as they reflect the development intentions that the government aims to deliver if it comes to power at the center,” he said.
Congress leaders Prasad Raj Kanchan, Kishan Hegde Kolkebailu, Veronica Cornelio, Prakyath Shetty, Dinkar Heruru, Mairmadi Sudhakara Shetty, Bhujanga Shetty, Jayananda, Nityananda Shetty, Mallika Balakrishna Poojary, Dr Sunita Shetty and other Congress leaders were present.