Ballari: Claiming that the Congress government led by Siddaramaiah is facing significant anti-incumbency Karnataka BJP unit President BY Vijayendra expressed confidence that voters in the three constituencies holding by-elections are determined to teach the government a lesson.
"The Siddaramaiah government has been in power for a year and a half, and a notable anti-incumbency wave has already emerged against the government. This by-election is crucial, being held within just one and a half years of the Congress government assuming power. Usually, anti-incumbency against a government is seen three to four years into a government’s term, however, in Karnataka, this wave has already surfaced in a remarkably short time," he claimed.
Vijayendra alleged that the Congress government has failed to deliver on its promise of corruption-free governance. Referring to the Mysuru MUDA scandal and the Valmiki Development Corporation scam, he said "the Congress government is steeped in corruption."
He criticized the Siddaramaiah administration for not initiating any developmental projects since coming to power.
"This government has not even started the development process. They gave good publicity about their guarantees during the parliament election, but just 3-4 days before the Lok Sabha elections, money was deposited into everyone's accounts. During that election, they claimed they would win 18-20 seats. Despite their aggressive campaigning, the BJP-JD(S) alliance emerged victorious, securing 19 seats—17 for BJP and 2 for JD(S)," he explained.
“The government has failed to respond to farmers' distress, whether during droughts or floods. Farmers growing maize, chilli, and cotton are facing severe hardships. The funds meant for SC/ST welfare programs had been diverted to other schemes,” he alleged.
Vijayendra criticized Siddaramaiah, stating he had come to power under the guise of AHINDA (a coalition of minorities, backward classes, and Dalits) but had betrayed these communities.
"The forthcoming by-elections have the potential to change the political landscape of the state," he added.
Vijayendra stated that due to a lack of development in constituencies, many Congress MLAs are struggling to face the people. He pointed out that even senior Congress MLA RV Deshpande had complained about the lack of funds. He further referred to Congress MLA Raju Kage's threat to commit suicide out of frustration.
Speaking about the Sandur constituency, Vijayendra stated that the party has nominated young leader Bangaru Hanumanthu as its candidate. "Senior BJP leaders have united in Sandur, and the JD(S) is providing full support," he stated.
Agreeing that the BJP has never won in Sandur before, the state BJP chief expressed optimism, stating that with the combined efforts of senior leaders like Janardhan Reddy, Sriramulu, and Somasekhara Reddy, the BJP lotus would bloom in Sandur for the first time.
Vijayendra expressed confidence in the party securing victory through the enthusiasm of its workers and the collaborative efforts of the BJP-JD(S) alliance.
