RAICHUR: Probably alarmed by some media survey reports which indicated a fractured mandate in elections to the state Assembly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday made a fervent appeal to people to give a clear mandate to the BJP to enable it deliver on its poll promises.
“Do you want Karnataka's name to resonate in the country the way India's name resonates in the international arena now? If yes, the BJP has to get a clear majority”, Mr Modi declared at a poll rally here.
Asserting that the Janata Dal(S) has no strength to take on the Congress, he appealed to voters not to support it. “India is being hailed in the world today not because of Modi, but because of the opportunity given to us. Similarly if Karnataka has to make a name in the country, you have to give a clear mandate to the BJP. People are spreading rumours about a hung Assembly including those sitting in AC rooms. But the response of the people here is enough to dispel such reports”, Mr Modi said.
Accusing the Congress of spreading canards about his government, the PM remarked that it had no agenda other than attack him in public. “It (Congress) has launched a misinformation campaign against me because I have plugged the leak of Rs 80,000 crore that was being looted in the name of the poor. I caution voters to be vigilant about these designs of the Congress till the elections.
Has the Chief Minister given an account of his performance? During the last 70 years the Congress has ruled the country by misleading the poor and other downtrodden sections. Through Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and the mobile phone, we have stopped the loot that was taking place. The people in other parts of the country have shown the Congress the door. Now it is the turn of people of Karnataka to do the same”, Mr Modi remarked.
On hearing an encouraging response to his recount of the defeats suffered by the Congress in different states during the last four years, a chuckling Mr Modi remarked, “now nobody can save it (from the rout)”. He also attacked the Congress for not allowing the Lok Sabha to function and pass the bill which sought to establish the OBC Commission. “The OBC bill was defeated because we don't have a majority in the Rajya Sabha”, Mr Modi said adding that he would continue his fight to get justice for the OBCs.
Referring to the measures his government had initiated for the well being of farmers, Mr Modi said they recently passed the Swaminathan Commission report which the Congress led UPA government had shelved. He congratulated state BJP Chief B.S. Yeddyurappa for the latter's announcement of various pro-farmer programmes in the manifeso. “I particularly appreciate the decision to set up Raitha Bandhu Intervention Fund for market intervention”, Mr Modi added.
