With less than a fortnight left for the May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held an interactive meeting with 50 lakh BJP workers virtually on Thursday to ensure that the ‘double-engine’ government returns to power in Karnataka.
During his interaction with party workers from 58,112 booths, the Prime Minister said: “Congress means false guarantee, Congress means guarantee of corruption. Congress is in that state where they cannot give any guarantee. And their warranty has also expired.”
Stating that health is critical for our country, PM Modi asked, “The first All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) was set up in 1956 but when was the second one established? Congress will not say anything about that. When we came to power, we increased the number of AIIMS by three times. Tell us if double engine has strength or not?”
PM Modi claimed that Karnataka is rich in language, culture, and literature and that no one can compete with the state when it comes to philosophy.
“Philosophy and development of society go together. People of Karnataka for shaping the future of Karnataka. Youngsters here do coding and read Kavitha’s as well,” added the PM.
PM Modi, who believes that the key is to win the battle at the booth level, went on to advise the party workers on how to secure victory in the May 10 Assembly polls.
Indicating that the thrust should be on connecting with every voter, PM Modi advised booth workers to form strong groups of 10 men and 10 women and visit all families and tell them about the work of the double-engine government. “You should have all information in a diary. Spend one hour at each house. Seek blessings of the elders there,” PM Modi said.
“If you put a wheel of a Maruti car into a tractor, will that work? No. A uniform system like a double-engine government will ensure development. Tell these small things to voters. You don’t need to give long speeches — that is other people’s domain,” he added.
The Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka is leaving no stone unturned to retain power and electioneering is in full swing as party leaders intensify their campaigning across the state to woo voters.
Even the Prime Minister, who will begin campaigning on April 28 and will continue till May 7, is set to conduct nearly 15 public meetings, and road shows, sources told ANI on Tuesday.
Top brass, including party president JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah, have been holding power-packed campaigns across the state. Rajnath Singh, who has recovered from COVID after being down for nearly a week, has also joined the campaign.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Yogi Adityanath kicked off his first rally in poll-bound Karnataka on Wednesday and slammed the Congress over religion-based quota and accused it of appeasement.
Congress files complaint against Amit Shah
Meanwhile, AICC general secretary and Congress Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, Karnataka’s former deputy chief minister leader Dr G Parmeshwar, and Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar have filed a police complaint in Bengaluru’s High Grounds Police Station against Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah and organisers of a BJP rally rally in Vijayapura and other locations in Karnataka on April 25 for making provocative statements, promoting enmity and hatred and maligning opposition.
Accusing Shah of attempting to disrupt communal harmony in the state, they alleged that Shah said that ‘if the Indian National Congress wins the upcoming elections, then the entire state of Karnataka will be afflicted with communal riots’.
The elections to the 224-member assembly will be held on May 10 and results will be declared on May 13.