JOIN USCong confident of winning right number
“The State Government under the BJP does not have a right to be here (in power),” he said.
Under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), the Centre had released more funds to the State than any other State. However, he said the ruling party was “disinterested” in the development work. Of Rs 22,000 crore earmarked for the City under JNNURM, the State had failed to spend even 10 percent of the funds released by the Centre, he said.
Result will set precedence
The BBMP polls’ outcome will set a precedence for rest of the State that will ensure “non-performing” BJP is out of power by the next State elections. “The past two years have seen that Chief Minister’s hold over law and order, revenue and mines were being delegated to a certain section of ministers in parts of Karnataka,” he said.
He said the constant in-fighting in the BJP and ‘bargaining’ between the Chief Minister and members of his cabinet for portfolios speaks volumes about CM’s lack of control over his ministers.
“Give us an opportunity to emulate the successful regime under S M Krishna, here in the BBMP,” he appealed.
He recollected that under the NDA regime at the Centre and the Krishna Government in the State, it was the choice of every Head of State to visit Bangalore first and then go to the capital, New Delhi. “But today, the image of Bangalore, despite being an international is not so,” he said.
Alliance ruled out
On whether the Congress would go for alliance with JD(S), if it falls short of right numbers, Azad said: “We will have to perform our best and hope to get complete majority. Our past experience has taught us that a coalition government does not work. It is too pre-mature to talk about it now.”