JOIN USThe third road show of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday in the minority-dominated Siddapura ward in the run-up to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) election was dedicated to BJP-bashing.
As Siddaramaiah faces the first major acid test since assuming office two-and-half years ago, he preferred to reinforce areas where the Congress party has its stranglehold. He sought the blessings of the people for the party candidate from Siddapura ward, M Udayashankar. Starting from Tilak Nagar near Jayanagar of Chickpet Assembly constituency, Siddaramaiah’s convoy ambled along the narrow roads of Siddapura.
Mounted on an open jeep with Congress MLA R V Devaraj, Udayashankar and other senior party functionaries, Siddaramaiah was greeted with pro-Congress slogans, crackers and fluttering party flags by a cheering party supporters, both men and women, who had turned up in great number.
Oscillating on the road dug up recently where ‘development works’ are under progress, the vehicle paused at a few metres away from the big mosque near Someshwara Nagar on Siddapura Road. From a makeshift stage, the first message he conveyed to his trusted electorate was that the ruling BJP in the BBMP plundered the City in the last five years as they had done while ruling the State for five years.
Chief Minister said, “BJP avaru lootikhoraru (The BJP is a plunderer).” A debt of Rs 9,000 crore on BBMP is because of the BJP. They mortgaged the KR Market, Russel Market, Utility Building and Unity Building. They were about to mortgage the Town Hall when I intervened and lent a financial aid of Rs 4,000 crore which was again squandered by the BJP completely.”
Dubious distinction
Chief Minister reminded people that the City, which was known as Garden City and Silicon Valley of India, earned a dubious distinction of Garbage City during the tenure of BJP. He also took a dig at the three Union Ministers Ananth Kumar, D V Sadananda Gowda and Venkaiah Naidu, who failed to bring the Bengaluru under the Smart City scheme. He assured people that the party will make Bengaluru Smart City without the Centre’s help.
Siddaramaiah then turned to another rival party JD(S), by calling them fake seculars. “They appear to be secular but they do not hesitate to shake hands with the communal forces.”
The convoy moved ahead leaving behind a long trail of chock-a-block on the four sides of the road.