BJP's mega event draws huge crowd in K'taka; party pledges to keep Congress at bay

Doddaballapur (Karnataka), Sep 10 (IANS) 'Janaspandana', the mega event organised by the BJP in Doddaballapur near here on Saturday to commemorate the completion of one year in office of Chief Minister Bsavaraj Bommai and three years of BJP rule in Karnataka, was successful in sending across a message to the party workers as well as the opposition.

As per sources, more than 2 lakh people attended the programme, many of them from southern Karnataka where BJP does not have a strong base. The party had taken a conscious decision to hold the programme here to make inroads in the districts where JD(S) and Congress have a strong hold. Party insiders claimed that the event successfully sent out a message to the people living in this region.

Addressing the gathering, former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa said that he will never let Congress come to power in the state till the time Prime Minister Narendra Modi is at the helm.

"Rahul Gandhi talks about poverty and three of his family members have been Prime Ministers of the country," he said.

Yediyurappa said that Opposition leader Siddaramaiah and state Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar are under illusion that they are going to become the next CM.

Quoting a Kannada proverb, he said that before a child is born, the clothes are being stitched.

He also slammed Siddaramaiah for criticising the BJP over the flood situation in Bengaluru.

"You (Siddaramaiah) have been the CM, don't you know what happens when the city receives such excess rain rain," Yediyurappa asked.

He said the mega event is a great success as party leaders have put in a lot of efforts to mobilise lakhs of people in a region where the party is not so strong. In the coming days, five to six such conventions will be planned to reach out to the people, he added.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Bommai declared that the government would provide a job to a kin of Praveen Kumar Nettare, the BJP Yuva Morcha activist who was killed in Dakshina Kannada district in July.

"I congratulate the massive crowd for attending the convention in such large numbers. We are sending across a clear message from here, which would reach every nook and corner of the state. The message is BJP will retain power in Karnataka. We will not break your trust," Bommai said.

The Chief Minister also said that the state government has handled the Covid situation efficiently.

"BJP has given vaccines free of cost. Congress claims it gave free rice. But the rice came from the Modi government, only the bags were yours (Congress')," he said.

He also attacked the Congress over the 40 per cent commission allegations.

"You have minted money without even doing any work. Yours was a 100 per cent commission government. Your dream of coming to power will remain a dream," Bommai said.