Dharwad (Karnataka), Oct 6 (IANS) BJP Karnataka President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra on Tuesday expressed confidence that NDA candidate S.V. Sankanur would win the West Graduates’ constituency election to the Karnataka Legislative Council and achieve a hat-trick.
He launched a sharp attack on the Congress government over law and order, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the state’s financial situation.
Speaking to reporters in Dharwad, Vijayendra said Sankanur had worked effectively for graduates during his two terms as a member of the Legislative Council and had earned the confidence of people.
“Sankanur has raised the issues of graduates effectively in the Legislative Council and worked for their interests. He is a people-friendly legislator and has earned everyone’s confidence. Therefore, he will be elected again,” Vijayendra said.
He expressed confidence that Sankanur would win by a large margin and secure a hat-trick.
Vijayendra said former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, MP Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, MLAs Mahesh Tenginakai and Aravind Bellad, along with legislators, party leaders and workers from Karwar, Dharwad, Gadag and Haveri districts, would work for Sankanur’s victory.
On the law and order situation, Vijayendra accused Home Minister Priyank Kharge of turning Kalaburagi into a “Republic of Kalaburagi” and alleged that the entire district was under the control of the Kharge family.
“Priyank Kharge should disclose how many murders have taken place in Kalaburagi since they came to power,” Vijayendra said.
He alleged that when contractors or government officials were killed, people close to the Kharge family contacted the victims’ families late at night and allegedly offered them money to remain silent.
“Priyank Kharge himself should answer who is nurturing such contract killers. The practice of giving money to silence poor people should stop. They need not teach us about the law,” he said.
On the Form-7 controversy, Vijayendra said that if there were any irregularities in submitting Form-7 applications, the government should take action according to law. “If submitting Form-7 was wrong, let them take action according to law. But if the state government misuses the police to threaten our workers, we will not be intimidated,” he said.
Vijayendra also accused the government of putting pressure on the Excise Department to generate revenue to fund its guarantee schemes. “Liquor is now available even in grocery shops. Turning Karnataka into a state of drunkards is the government’s achievement,” he alleged.
He said around 2.5 lakh government posts were vacant and claimed that job aspirants were protesting in the state.
On the SIR exercise, Vijayendra alleged that the state government was trying to divert attention from its failures by blaming the Election Commission.
He referred to remarks attributed to Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and Vayalar Ravi regarding SIR in Kerala and alleged that the Karnataka government was attempting to shift the blame to the Election Commission.
“The state government is trying to threaten our workers by filing FIRs. Police stations have become Congress offices,” he alleged.
–IANS
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