Prime Minister Narendra Modi came out all guns blazing on Saturday and in the process even targeted the JD(S) — with which the BJP could have a post-poll alliance if the Karnataka polls’ results throw up a hung Assembly, and on whose leadership he had himself lavished praise just a couple of days ago — for a secret electoral pact with the Congress.
While addressing four back-to-back rallies at Gadag, Tumakuru, Shivamogga and Mangaluru, the PM criticised the Congress for indulging in corruption, politicising Mahadayi water row, and capitalising on poverty politics. He said the Congress will be reduced to “PPP Congress” (Punjab, Puducherry, Parivar) after the Karnataka elections.
“The people of Karnataka have right to know about the alliance between the Congress and the JD(S) because they pretend to fight in some parts of the State while being together in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) as evident from the latter’s support to the ruling party’s corporator (Sampath Raj) in becoming the city mayor last year,” Modi said.
The Congress and the JD(S) had tied up to run the Bengaluru civic body after the 2017 elections for Bengaluru’s 198 wards, denying the BJP the mayoral post. The JD(S) also supported the Congress candidate Sampath Raj in becoming the city mayor in 2017. Incidentally, Raj is the Congress contestant in the CV Raman Nagar Assembly segment in the city’s southeast suburb against P Ramesh of the JD(S) and the two-time legislator S Raghu of the BJP.
Asking voters to support the BJP, the PM said, “If anyone is protecting the Congress, it is the JD(S).... If anyone can defeat the Congress, it is the BJP. the JD(S) is standing very far. I request you to bring BJP to power in Karnataka.”
Speaking about the contentious Mahadayi river issue over which Goa and Karnataka are locked in a protracted dispute, Modi claimed, then Congress president Sonia Gandhi had said during Goa Assembly elections in 2007 that her party was “committed” to not allowing Karnataka its share of water.
“Now that they are out of power in Goa, they are instigating people of Karnataka on the Mahadayi issue... Their job (atkana, latkana, bhatkana) to block, leave things hanging fire, and mislead people. Instead of finding a solution to Mahadayi dispute, the Congress Government sent it to a tribunal.”
With the D-day for the polls drawing closer, Modi upped the ante against the Siddaramaiah Government, alleging it has become a “corruption tank” for the Congress with a pipeline connected to Delhi, “where the money reaches directly”. He accused the Congress of “auctioning” party tickets and posts, and recalled how a string of scams rocked the erstwhile UPA Government.
Taunting that the Congress will be reduced to “PPP Congress” (Punjab, Puducherry, Parivar) after the Karnataka elections, Modi said, “The party whose flag fluttered across the country... from panchayat to Parliament...Which had 400 MPs...Its fortresses are falling, one after the other. Without power, it is like a fish without water. Congress’s arrogance did it in. Democracy does not brook arrogance.”
Modi said the Congress, which ruled the country for decades, with “one family” in power for most part, neglected the poor and farmers. “Garibi, garibi, garibi was their constant refrain. But once the son of a poor mother became the PM, they clammed up... Now they don’t talk about poverty,” he said.
“They even opposed my Clean India campaign. They mock all institutions...The RBI, Indian Army, Parliament...It is yet to recover from the shock of demonetisation as bundles of ill-gotten currency notes of its leaders were seized...Their anger does not go away,” Modi said.