Siddu wants to make K'taka free of BJP

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday declared that he would make Karnataka free of BJP and communal forces.  He said this at the Congress rally organised at Davangere to mark the completion of two years of his government. The rally, attended by scores of party workers atBapuji College ground, turned out to be a show of strength by the ruling Congress. Siddaramaiah shared dias with a host of party leaders including AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress floor leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, B K Hariprasad, Oscar Fernandes, and his ministerial colleagues. The rally held under the banner Sarvodaya Samavesha, also served as a platform for the Congress party to reach out the government’s programmes to the people ahead of the gram panchayat elections. Unmindful of the heavy rains, Siddaramaiah, in a raised voice, spoke for well over an hour. The chief minister said, "Our workers and supporters would not allow the BJP to again spread its roots in the State. It is impossible for the BJP to make Karnataka free of the Congress. Let the BJP not live under illusion. I am saying this with full confidence.” Reiterating that he would contest the 2018 assembly elections, Siddaramaiah said that the aim of the party should be to ensure that the Congress continues in power. Unmindful of criticism, Siddaramaiah said, "I have no hesitation to say that ours is pro-Ahinda government. We are also pro village, pro farmer and pro women. The opposition parties have not been able to digest this reality and feeling jealous.” Taking a dig at the BJP, Siddaramaiah said Jagadish Shettar and Pralhad Joshi have questioned the utility of holding such rally by the Congress. The BJP came to power a year ago. It is answerable to the people of the state whether the party has fulfilled the promises it made during the Lok Sabha elections. Many promises including bringing back black money, special status to Kashmir and uniform civil code were made by the BJP. But none has been fulfilled. "So the BJP has no moral right to question us,” he said. He also requested the crowd to defeat the BJP supported candidates in the gram panchayat polls and support those who have commitment to give good governance.   Deccan Herald