The Hindu
BANGALORE, May 17: Terrorism, use of money power, regional imbalances and stability formed the main issues on which some of the major parties — the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party — sought votes in the third phase of the Assembly elections in Karnataka. Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati were the star campaigners in the State on Saturday.
Ms. Gandhi underscored the need for a united fight against terror and its perpetrators. Ms. Gandhi was addressing an election rally at the Nehru Stadium in Hubli.
Referring to the Jaipur blasts, she said: “Terrorism has no caste or religion. The country is united on this issue. We will fight it [terrorism] together.” About the Rs. 60,000-crore loan waiver scheme for farmers, the Congress president sought to know what the Bharatiya Janata Party, which had been speaking of farmers of late, had done for farmers. Ms. Gandhi, who began her speech with a greeting in Kannada, touched upon welfare schemes for dalits, backward classes, farmers and Muslims implemented by the UPA government.
Addressing a public meeting in Gulbarga, Ms. Gandhi accused the BJP of indulging in divisive politics and politicising the issue of terrorism. Seeking votes for the party candidates in 13 Assembly constituencies in Gulbarga district, Ms. Gandhi said the menace of the terrorism was not a problem of a single political party.
‘No captain’
Former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani criticised the Congress for not announcing the name of the chief ministerial candidate for the coming Assembly elections in the State.
Mr. Advani, addressing a gathering in the city as part of the BJP campaign, asked: “How can a team win without having a captain?” He said people should know the chief ministerial candidate before the elections and “it is not right to chose a candidate after the elections.” “Selling a ‘vote’ for money or liquor amounts to selling of sisters and daughters.” This is the line adopted by Bahujan Samaj Party national president and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mayawati at an election meeting in Belgaum. She said the rival parties had unleashed ill-gotten money and liquor to buy votes. Falling prey to such corrupt practice meant selling of daughters and sisters, and be deceived for five years.
BJP leader and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said that the UPA government could not fight terrorism. Mr. Modi, who addressed an election meeting in Belgaum, criticised the UPA government for repealing the POTA. In fact, Karnataka should have been number one State. However, its growth was impaired on account of political instability,” he said.