Congress’ victory streak will not last long in Karnataka; guarantees used merely as poll strategy: Vijayendra

Bengaluru, May 19 Karnataka BJP President and BJP MLA B.Y. Vijayendra, referring to the Congress party’s victories in bye-elections, alleged on Tuesday that the guarantee schemes had helped the party win elections.

“You are releasing guarantee funds and trying to win elections. This streak of victories will not continue for long,” he said, addressing the Chief Minister.

He was addressing a press conference at the state BJP office, Jagannath Bhavan, in Bengaluru.

Recalling previous political developments, he asked what had happened in the Nanjangud and other by-elections when Siddaramaiah was the Chief Minister earlier. He said the people had later voted the Congress government out in the general elections and added that he hoped the Chief Minister had not forgotten that.

Vijayendra alleged that the government was using guarantee schemes merely as an election strategy. “The Chief Minister and the Congress government are portraying ‘guarantees’ themselves as development,” he charged.

Speaking on employment generation, the BJP leader said the Congress government was playing with the future of youth and claimed that its “AHINDA” image had been exposed.

He alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should have resigned on moral grounds after the Valmiki Development Corporation scam came to light.

Vijayendra recalled that the Chief Minister had acknowledged the scam on the floor of the House and that a minister had resigned over the issue.

He also referred to the alleged MUDA scam and said people of the state were aware that 14 sites had been returned.

Targeting the Education Department, Vijayendra claimed that Karnataka had never before seen such an Education Minister. He alleged that the government had neither introduced a state education policy nor implemented the National Education Policy (NEP).

The BJP leader accused the government of creating confusion in the education sector and “playing with the future of children”. He pointed out that more than 40,000 teacher posts remain vacant in the state.

He further alleged that due to the state government’s failures, around 6,500 rural libraries were on the verge of closure. He claimed that in the Chief Minister’s own district, more than 550 newborn babies had died over the past 15 months due to lack of basic facilities. He also alleged repeated deaths of pregnant women and new mothers.

Vijayendra charged that law and order in the state had completely deteriorated, with murders taking place frequently.

The state BJP chief alleged that the Chief Minister’s district had become a hub for the drug mafia and claimed that factories producing narcotic substances had been discovered there. He criticised the Police Department and the Chief Minister, saying they appeared unaware of what was happening even in the CM’s own district.

Vijayendra alleged that prisons, which should instil fear among criminals, were instead providing comforts to inmates. He further claimed that despite presenting one of the largest budgets, Siddaramaiah’s only personal achievement was remaining Chief Minister for a long duration.

He accused Siddaramaiah of misusing the name of AHINDA communities for political gains and to safeguard his Chief Minister’s chair.

Vijayendra also alleged that the Congress party, frustrated by defeats in West Bengal and Assam, was trying to create anarchy in Karnataka. He expressed confidence that people were fed up with the government’s style of administration and would teach the Congress a lesson whenever elections are held in the state.

He asked what achievements the government had actually made during the past three years. He questioned whether any developmental works had taken place in the state or whether any new schemes had been implemented.

The BJP leader questioned Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the purpose of organising the government’s “Sadhana Samavesha” convention in Tumakuru.

He further asked whether the government had come to the aid of farmers, who provide food for the state, during flood and drought situations. Without doing any of this, the state government is merely trying to remind people through the “Sadhana Samavesha” that it exists because of the guarantee schemes, he alleged.

He criticised the Congress government for trying to project its success only through advertisements.

The state BJP president questioned whether the government had prioritised roads during the past three years, allocated funds for irrigation projects, improved hospitals and schools, or released grants to legislators’ constituencies, keeping development in mind.

Criticising the government, Vijayendra said it had failed even to fill potholes on Bengaluru roads. He alleged that the government had shown no concern for the agriculture sector and lacked the sensitivity even to console distressed farmers. He further accused the government of failing to come to the rescue of people during floods and droughts.

Rajya Sabha member Lahar Singh Siroya, former minister and MLA B.A. Basavaraj, MLA Shashikala Jolle, state BJP spokesperson H. Venkatesh Doddere, OBC Morcha state president Raghu Kautilya and SC Morcha state vice-president Hoodi Manjunath were present at the press conference.

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