Blames Cong for failure to check terror, seeks second term for BJP
Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj on Sunday launched the BJP campaign for Bangalore Urban, targeting the opposition parties in the state and promising a clean and good administration from the BJP, if elected for a second term.
Speaking at a well-attended rally at Malleswaram grounds here, Swaraj thrashed the Congress and dismissed Karnataka Janata Party (KJP) of B S Yeddyurappa as a non-entity.
“Would you want to vote a party which has never had or will ever have a future. I predict that the KJP can never come to power, nor will be in a position to give any support to the party which will come to power,” she said.
“Over the past five years, we have changed three chief ministers to ensure better administration in the State. Those who were the prime cause for infighting in our party have now left the party. All our leaders are now fighting this election together. We assure you that, if elected, the BJP will give a clean and good administration,” she said.
She was addressing the Bangalore leg of the party’s multi-location election campaign which was launched simultaneously from six places in the State. Incidently, the BJP chose Malleswaram grounds, from where the Congress too had launched its campaign a few days ago.
Targeting the Congress-led UPA government in the aftermath of the bomb blast near the BJP office in Malleswarm, Swaraj said the Centre has failed to check acts of terrorism in the country.
“Soon after 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the Centre said Bangalore will have a National Security Guard (NSG) hub. It has been five years since and the promise has not materialised,” she said.
“The JPC has dropped the names of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram while making a mention of former prime minister AB Vajpayee, Arun Shourie and Jaswant Singh for causing a loss of Rs 53,000 crore to the exchequer,” she said to support her claim that the Centre was targeting BJP leaders to ‘cover up’ the involvement of its leaders in scams.
The BJP rally began with a fiery speech by party national general secretary Ananth Kumar who tried his best to strike a chord with the party workers.
Speaking in Kannada, in response to Swaraj’s request to define the politics in the State, he said: “Congress nalli bikkattu, JD(S) nalli Devegowda, Kumaranna, Revanna madhye ikkattu, BJP yalli oggatu.”
Former minister and MLA from Hebbal, Katta Subramanya Naidu also attended the rally. He was accompanied by Jagadish Kumar, his former Officer on Special Duty (OSD), who is now contesting from Hebbal. Also present was the Chickpet MLA D Hemachandra Sagar.
Both the MLAs have been denied the ticket by the BJP. The duo occupied the ‘corner seats’ on the dais.
