“I have come here to seek your support for BJP candidates who are contesting the election to the Legislative Council. Your vote to BJP candidates will be a vote for Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Ananth Kumar has said.
He was addressing a meeting organised in support of BJP candidates Arun Shahpur and Hanmanth Nirani who are contesting the election to the Legislative Council from the North West Teachers constituency and the North West Graduates’ constituency, respectively, here on Monday.
Inviting the State Congress for an open debate on the contribution made by BJP-led governments and those led by the Congress at the Centre and in the State in the field of education, Mr. Kumar said that it was the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government which introduced the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan and the Modi government which increased the budgetary allocation for education from Rs. 56,000 crore to Rs. 60,000 crore.
It was during B.S. Yeddyurappa’s tenure as Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister in the Janata Dal (Secular)-BJP coalition government that the 5th Pay Commission recommendations for government employees were approved. As many as 1,737 educational institutions and 17,000 teachers benefited from grant-in-aid during the period.
The BJP was engaged in a “positive” election campaign based on its strengths and achievements, Mr. Kumar said.
The Congress could not even identify land to set up a urea plant in north Karnataka.
Neither the Chief Minister nor the Health and Family Welfare Minister were showing interest to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to implement the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi scheme under which medicines would be available at concessional rates, Mr. Kumar alleged.
He alleged that the Congress was engaged in “horse-trading” and “poaching” of legislators from other political parties to grab more seats in the Rajya Sabha.
Mr. Kumar said that the Election Commission of India should issue a composite direction vis-à-vis the sting operation in which legislators were shown demanding cash for vote in connection with the Rajya Sabha elections.
