The BJP launched its campaign for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) polls from three places across the City on Friday, targetting the Siddaramaiah government for neglecting Bengaluru for the last two years.
Union Ministers Ananth Kumar, D V Sadananda Gowda and Venkaiah Naidu launched the campaigns at Hampinagar, Malleswaram and Murphy Town, respectively.
The BJP leaders were aggressive and spared no words accusing the State government of ignoring Bengaluru. But at the same time, they did not touch on the BJP’s five-year tenure in the BBMP Council which concluded earlier this year. The BJP had won the 2010 BBMP polls by bagging 110 seats in the 198-member Council. The Congress has accused that the five-year rule of the BJP as scam-ridden.
At Friday’s conventions, BJP leaders only spoke about the last two years of the Congress government and how development in Bengaluru had come to a “standstill.” The gathering at the conventions comprised party workers, hired hand for election campaigning and citizens, in that order.
At the Chandrashekar Azad Grounds in Malleswaram there were more empty chairs than those occupied. It was a sunny morning and many chose to watch the convention under the shade of the nearby trees. The dais had at least 50 people, including local legislator C N Ashwathnarayan, Hebbal MLA Jagadish Kumar, MLC Tara, former legislator Nagaraj Shetty and party candidates for the BBMP polls.
“Why is the chief minister stating that the BBMP is not a referendum on the government? It is obvious that he is apprehensive that the Congress will face defeat. The result of the polls will definitely be an evaluation of the government,” Gowda said.He said Siddaramaiah ventured on City rounds ahead of the polls just to hoodwink people. He blamed the UPA government of not releasing grants for drinking water scheme for the 110 newly added villages to the BBMP. The NDA released the grants soon after coming to power.
BJP State President Pralhad Joshi said the State government had tried to take away the rights of the people by trying to get the BBMP polls postponed. Joshi said that BJP will win the BBMP polls and also forthcoming elections, including that in Bihar.
“A situation will be created wherein (AICC President) Sonia Gandhi will have to return to Italy,” he said.
As many as 28 customised vans with campaign material, open platform and public addressing system were launched on the occasion. These van will criss-cross the streets of Bengaluru as part of BJP’s electioneering for the polls.
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