Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday promised voters in Karnataka to “develop Karnataka and refund it with interest” as he asserted that the BJP will come back to power with “full majority”.
At the Nanjangud rally, Modi said, “The Congress hates that which is associated with India’s strength and culture. The Congress only sees vote bank politics in everything they do.”
“The Congress’ royal family encourages international forces to interfere in the country’s affairs”, Modi further said. Attacking the Congress and JD(S), Modi alleged that both the parties insulted India’s heritage and “never took pride in Karnataka’s rich traditions.”
“This election is about creating a new history. This election is about making Karnataka the number one State in the country”, asserted Modi.
Addressing the election rallies in the last-leg of campaigning and staging a second consecutive road-show in Bengaluru, Modi came out hard against the Congress party accusing it of inflating a “balloons of lies”. “Irrespective of what the party does, they won’t be getting any benefit, and the Bharatiya Janata Party will form the Government with full majority”, Modi said while addressing a rally in Shivamogga in Central Karnataka.
Without naming Sonia Gandhi who addressed her first election meeting in Karnataka on Saturday, he said, “The Congress is so scared that ahead of the polls they were forced to bring people for campaigning so that they can put the whole blame on each other.”
Sonia Gandhi, who largely stayed away from campaigning and public rallies since 2019 Lok Sabha polls reportedly due to health reasons, addressed an election meeting at Hubballi on Saturday. At his Shivamogga election rally, as Modi was presented a Hanuman idol and a saffron colour 'Shivaji' turban, the crowd roared with 'Jai Sri Ram' (Hail Lord Ram) chants while the Prime Minister raised 'Bajrang Bali Ki Jai' (Hail Hanuman) slogans.Asking people to re-elect a BJP Government, Modi said, "I want to give you the original guarantee for your love and blessings, I will develop Karnataka and refund it with interest". Dismissing promises of rival Congress, Modi said, "Both politics and development work of the Congress are only on paper. They can never develop Karnataka. They are just peddling lies. Women of Karnataka were completely neglected by the Congress Government in the past. They have done no development work for the farmers".
Modi held a second roadshow in Bengaluru as Union Home Minister Amit Shah led a road-show in South Belagavi. The Prime Minister's road-show that began with him paying floral tributes to the statue of Kempegowda (founder of Bengaluru) passed through parts of central Bengaluru, touching five Assembly segments. Bengaluru has 28 Assembly segments which are key to tilt the electoral balance in the tightly-fought electoral contest for the Karnataka Assembly with 224 seats.