Bengaluru: Congress, JD(S) give clarion call to oust Modi at show of unity

Bengaluru: After simmering discontent among workers as well as leaders in various parts of Old Mysuru region, coalition partners JD(S) and Congress finally  put up a show of unity on Sunday with Congress leaders giving a clarion call to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls.

Discontent has been simmering among  workers as well as leaders of both parties who have been traditional rivals in the Old Mysuru region, and have been finding it immensely difficult to put up a united front against BJP candidates. Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, Siddaramaiah himself brought this issue to the fore saying the rally was organised at the behest of former prime minister, H.D. Deve Gowda to drive home a point that both parties should work unitedly in the Lok Sabha elections putting differences aside.

“The rally is happening only because Mr Deve Gowda insisted on it not once but twice in New Delhi. He wanted this rally to happen in the presence of Congress president  Rahul Gandhi, hence this rally,” he said and insisted that wherever Congress leaders are contesting, JD(S) workers must work wholeheartedly and this is also expected from Congress workers in constituencies allotted to the JD(S). The impressive joint rally, held at the Bengaluru International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) grounds here, saw Siddaramaiah also taking on PM Modi and the BJP remarking that communal forces are working overzealously to create an environment of hate and hence should be defeated. "BJP should not come to power again. Mr Modi has ruined the country, be it the  economy or otherwise. Under him, unemployment is rising, youth are restless. Apart from this, his anti-dalit, anti-women, anti-farmer policies have affected all, hence he should not come back to power,” he explained.

KPCC president Dinesh Gundurao asserted that both the Congress and JD(S)  will have to work unitedly to ensure victory in all constituencies while KPCC working president, Eshwar Khandre quipped that  voters need to remind Mr Modi about his Rs 15 lakh promise made during his 2014 Lok Sabha polls. "Party workers should go with bags whenever Mr Modi comes to Karnataka and demand that he pay them Rs 15 lakh to remind him of his promise," he added.

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