New Delhi: The BJP pushed hard in the Lingayat bastion in central Karnataka on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the charge. Addressing a rally at Chitradurga in central Karnataka, the Prime Minister hit out at the Congress, saying that the party has a "history of appeasing terrorism and terrorists".
With 35 seats, central Karnataka has apparently emerged as a "key" to the BJP's electoral fortunes, a party strategist indicated. Of the 35 Assembly berths, the BJP won 24 seats during the 2018 state polls. In its poll manifesto released on Monday, the BJP made a host of promises for the central region of the state.
The Prime Minister addressed the rally with guns blazing and lashed out at the Congress for proposing to ban the Bajrang Dal in its election manifesto. "First they locked up Lord Ram and now the party (Congress) has promised to lock up those who chant Jai Bajrang Bali," the Prime Minister thundered.
The Prime Minister swooped down on the Congress within hours of the party releasing its election manifesto for the May 10 Assembly elections.
Targeting the sentiments of the majority community, the Prime Minister said, "I have come to the land of Hanuman. I am fortunate that I got the opportunity to pay obeisance to the land of Hanuman, but see the misfortune that when I have come to pay my respect to Hanuman's land, the Congress in its manifesto has decided to lock up Lord Hanuman."
Accusing the Congress of going soft on terrorists and terrorism, the Prime Minister said that "when the Batla House encounter happened in Delhi, there were tears in the eyes of Congress's topmost leader." He went on: "When surgical strikes happened, when air strikes happened, the Congress raised questions on the capability of the country's defence forces."
The Prime Minister maintained that the Congress had left Karnataka to the "rahemokaram" (mercy) of the terrorists and it was the BJP that took on the terrorists and "ended the game of appeasement". The Prime Minister reminded the electorate that "it is important for a state to be safe".
Later, speaking at Hospet, also known as Vijayanagara, the Prime Minister said that the "Vijayanagara dynasty and its history were the pride of India." Referring to the emperor, Sri Krishnadevaraya, the Prime Minister pointed out that he had strengthened business ties with various countries and had made the culture of Karnataka famous worldwide.
As the Prime Minister zeroed in on central Karnataka, the state chief minister Basavaraj Bommai had earlier highlighted his government's contribution to the region. He pointed out that the government had allocated '200 crores to the Tumkur-Chitradurga-Davangere rail project, the Central assistance of '5,300 crores to the Upper Bhadra project, '738 crores were granted for the de-silting and modernisation of Vani Vilas Sagara canals and the two-lane Hospet-Chitradurga national highway's upgrade to a four-lane expressway.
The chief minister also spoke of funds allocated for the development of new industrial clusters in Molakalmuru in Chitradurga and nine other places and 69 projects started under the Davanagere Smart City Mission at a cost of Rs 441 crores.
Mr Bommai also claimed that the Congress was "indulging in cheap rhetoric" because they feared losing the state election. The chief minister stressed on the "importance" of a double-engine government and accused the Opposition of dabbling in a "negative" campaign.
