The State Janata Dal (Secular) President H.D. Kumarasmamy and senior Janata Dal (S) leader M.C. Nanaiah called upon voters of the coastal region to elect candidates of the party in the Assembly election.
“There is always a sense of unhappiness that this region has not elected candidates from our party. But I have hope that people here will elect our candidates. I have been visiting this region often to strengthen the party here,” Mr. Kumaraswamy said. Mr. Nanaiah said if 50 per cent seats from Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kodagu districts are won by the JD(S) then the party will certainly come to power in the State.
Mr. Kumaraswamy and Mr. Nanaiah were speaking at the “Samana Manaska Samavesha”, a Janata Dal (S) convention, on Monday. Chairman of Sri Devi Group of Institutions Sadananada Shetty, a few doctors and advocates joined the party.
‘BJP has failed’
Mr. Nanaiah said electorate from Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kodagu need to bring a change by voting out Bharatiya Janata Party that has failed to properly govern the State. In the four-and-half years rule, the BJP has created a debt of Rs. 46,000 crore. “There is a debt of Rs. 22,000 on each person in the State,” Mr. Nanaiah said while criticising the Rs. 1.03 lakh crore budget presented by D.V. Sadananda Gowda. Mr. Kumaraswamy said it was necessary for the local Janata Dal (S) leaders to keep their differences aside and go before the people with one face. This will make voters to choose the party candidates in the coming Assembly elections. Mr. Kumaraswamy expressed hope that the electorate in Dakshina Kannada would elect JD(S) candidates and provide an opportunity to rule the State.
‘Practical’ manifesto
Later speaking to reporters, Mr. Kumaraswamy said JD(S) would be presenting a “practical” manifesto that will help in winning seats in the forthcoming assembly elections. This manifesto will be prepared after consulting people and it will be declared within a month. The party will not be making any “tall promises” on the social security front.
He claimed that by discussing with the stakeholders, the party could arrive at promises that could be managed within the limited monetary resources of the State. “After the disabilities convention in Bangalore yesterday, there are 35 issues that will be addressed in the manifesto. Similarly, we’ll come up with schemes and programmes for women and farmers that can be implemented,” he said.
Taking a dig at the electoral strategy of the Congress, Mr. Kumarswamy said: “In their rallies, the Congress is only highlighting the failures of the BJP. They assume that this is enough for people to vote for them. Why are they not addressing serious issues of development?”
Similarly, about the BJP he said their internal conflicts and vacillations about B.S. Yeddyurappa were coming at the cost of development programmes for the State. “They are busy with their own infighting. How can they concentrate on addressing people’s problems?”
