From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Apr 20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s arrival after the completion of the filing of nomination papers on Thursday for the State’s May 10 assembly polls and campaigning in different parts would definitely give a big boost to the ruling BJP’s electoral prospects, claimed Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in Bengaluru on Thursday.
Speaking to media persons, he made it clear that no decision has been taken regarding Lingayat chief minister as the meeting of community leaders that was held under the leadership of former chief minister B S Yediyurappa to take stock of the current political situation in the State.
A few leaders have given suggestions on how to respond to the mis-campaigning being done by the Congress leaders and also regarding the Lingayat chief minister, he explained.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan who participated in the meeting has said he would convey their feelings to the Delhi leaders.
“No decision has been taken regarding the announcement of the Lingayat chief minister,” he asserted.
'Ashok’s Campaign to start from military hotel'
Responding to KPCC President D K Shivakumar's statement inviting Revenue Minister R Ashok to visit a military hotel in Kanakapura, Bommai said the BJP campaign would start from there.
“The local people would be present there but Shivakumar would not meet them. Ashok is going to meet the general public. What's wrong in it? Why they must not go to the military hotel,’’ he asked.
Ashok, who belongs to the politically powerful Vokkaliga community, has been fielded by BJP from Kanakapura to present a tough challenge to Shivakumar. Incidentally, Ashok is also contesting from his traditional Padmanabhanagara assembly constituency.
The KPCC Chief had challenged Ashok, who belongs to BJP professing its Hindutva agenda, must visit the Military Hotel in Kanakapura as military hotels normally offer non-vegetarian food including mutton, chicken, pork and even beef dishes.
Bommai said the work of bringing back all those who had deserted the party is going on and it is happening in district and hobli level.
Congress is anti-Lingayat: CM
With ruling BJP hit by the desertion of several top Lingayat community leaders such as Laxman Savadi and Jagadish Shettar, both of whom are contesting on Congress ticket, leading to the speculation that it would weaken the ruling party, the Chief Minister sought to turn the tables on Congress by alleging that the opposition party was anti-Lingayat since 1967.
Veteran Congress leader, Veerendra Patil served as the Chief Minister just for nine months but he was unceremoniously removed from the post just because he did not gel with the party. The statement regarding his removal from the post was made at the airport by Rajiv Gandhi, he said.
The way in which M Rajashekar Murthy was handled was also equally bad. The Congress party tried to divide the Lingayat religion. The people would not pardon that party for doing it just for the vote bank politics,’’ he said.
“The Congress cheated Dalits, backward classes and Lingayats,” Bommai claimed.