Bellary: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday appealed to people of Karnataka that if they repose faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa and vote for the BJP in the upcoming Assembly polls, the party will make the state number one in south India.
Addressing a huge public gathering at Vijay Sankalp Yatra, Shah maintained that the BJP will give corruption free administration in the state.
“Every single vote to JD(S) will go to Congress. Every vote to Congress will go for an ATM government here for New Delhi,” he said.
“Prime Minister Modi can only keep the country secure. You (voters) decide whether to give power to Prime Minister Modi or Rahul Gandhi who is with the ‘tukde-tukde’ gang. He (PM Modi) also banned the Popular Front of India (PFI), whereas previous Siddaramaiah-led Congress government had withdrawn 1,700 cases against PFI activists,” Shah said.
“Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh during their tenure did not dare to respond to terror attacks on India, but when terror strikes were carried out in Uri and Pulwama during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure, he ordered surgical strikes on Pakistan and got the terrorists finished,” he said.
Shah is scheduled to hold an important meeting with BJP bigwigs of the state in Bengaluru later in the day.
Shah’s visit is aimed at galvanising the party workers in the Bellary region known for mining, against the backdrop of former party man and mining baron Gali Janardhana Reddy launching a new party and challenging the saffron party.
Considering the consequences and chances of setback for the party in the region, BJP is seriously devising a strategy to pin down Janardhana Reddy on his home turf.
Janardhana Reddy had declared candidature of his wife Aruna Lakshmi from the Bellary city constituency.
Presently, the seat is held by his brother Gali Somashekara Reddy, who is in the BJP. Somashekara Reddy has said that no matter who contests against him, he would win the seat for the party.
–IANS