With barely 36 hours to go for polling in the the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike Council elections, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president R.V. Deshpande, a key campaigner for the party, spoke to The Hindu after complaining to the State Election Commission against Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and two senior Bharatiya Janata Party functionaries for their press conference on Friday violating the model code of conduct.
In an interview, he said that the fight is between the BJP and the Congress, as the Janata Dal (Secular) has become irrelevant in Bangalore. It has some presence in a few wards on the outskirts, that is all. Excerpts from the interview:
Question: Will your party align with the Janata Dal (S)?
Answer: We will not. Moreover, the Janata Dal (S) has a negative attitude towards Bangalore.
How many seats will the party win and do you expect a majority?
The Congress will win more than 120 seats, and our partymen will be Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
What is the basis?
First, the dismal performance of the 22-month-old BJP Government. How the ruling party kept on delaying elections to the BBMP Council and the Congress fought in the courts forcing it to hold elections. The BJP has no courage to face the voters. The officials tried to clear tenders for works, worth hundreds of crores, after the code of conduct came into force. The High Court asked the BBMP to stop it.
People know that it was during S.M. Krishna's rule that 27 flyovers, the international airport and infrastructure were built and Metro Rail work started. BDA was rejuvenated and 70,000 sites were distributed to the poor and the needy. All this attracted huge investment, Bangalore became the Silicon Valley of India, providing jobs to lakhs of educated youths.
All this came to a halt with the declining law and order situation, attack on churches and women by communal elements. The BBMP is bankrupt and Rs.1,500-crore bills are pending for want of funds. It has taken a loan of Rs.1,000 crore. The State Government failed in implementing the JNNURM and Rajiv Gandhi Awas Yojana programme in the city. It should have been proactive and aggressive in getting more funds for developing roads, storm water drains, footpaths, streetlights, public transport and drinking water.
With no power in the Government, how can the Congress work effectively?
Politics did not prevent the Congress-led Manmohan Singh Government in releasing funds to the BJP-ruled Karnataka and he expects it to reciprocate this democratic value.
Your party workers allege that 24 Reddy candidates were given ticket at the cost of loyal workers.
A majority of the workers are happy about selections. Of the 107 seats in the general category, 47 were diverted to Dalits, backward class and minority candidates keeping social justice in mind.
