No tie-up with Congress, BJP: Basavaraj Horatti

Belagavi: Denying he was being supported by both the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party in the  coming elections to the Legislative Council from the North-West Teachers’ constituency, JD(S) leader Basavaraj Horatti asserted here on Thursday that all reports of his alleged understanding with both parties were false.

“Why don’t candidates of the BJP and Congress withdraw from the contest if they believe  their parties are supporting a JD(S) candidate?”  he challenged.

Claiming the support of 15 teachers’ organisations in his constituency, the MLC claimed he would win by a big margin as he was sure of winning a major portion of the first preferential votes. Blaming the worsening state of education in the state on lack of coordination between the bureaucracy and the political set-up, he said education officials and people's representatives must stop dragging teachers into their problems.   

Also, instead of  promoting schemes like the mid-day meal, the government should focus on building basic infrastructure in its schools, he suggested.

“So far, the  Congress government in the state has not opened even a single Kannada school or appointed more teachers. And the number of students studying Kannada medium in primary and high schools has fallen drastically over the last two years,” Mr Horatti observed.