Byndoor: “BJP has given equal importance to both Bunt and Billava community in the coastal region. Sunil Kumar has been given the position of chief whip, while Kota Srinivas Poojary is made the leader of the opposition party,” said former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa.

Yeddyurappa was speaking at the BJP workers’ conference at Nempu near Vandse here, which was held as the curtain raiser for the Shivamogga Lok Sabha bypoll campaign.

Continuing his address to the activists of the party, Yeddyurappa said, “All eyes of the nation are on the Lok Sabha bypoll that are being held in Karnataka for three seats of Mandya, Mysuru and Ballary. According to me, BJP has already won in Ballary and Shivamogga. We are trying to win the Mandya seat also. However, it is important to know the margin by which we are going to win these elections.

So every activist of the BJP party has to work in this direction and has to strive for the victory of Raghavendra. Thereby we have to take BJP to its old glory of power. Through this victory, we have to set the stage for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, which is scheduled to be held in next five or six months’ time.”

“Where is the government? What it is doing? Today the stare government is completely dead. Though the teachers are protesting since a week, not a single MLA or minister of the ruling party has met them and listened to their woes. If the government is not ready to respond e to the difficulties of the people, what is it doing then ?” questioned Yeddyurappa.

“Dear Kumaraswamy, please give up accusing BJP of ‘Operation Kamala’. On the contrary, are you not the one who promised BJP MLA Subash Guttedar that he will be made a minister if he defects to Congress? Stop your gimmicks first” ridiculed Yeddyurappa.

In his address, Kota Srinivas Poojary, leader of the opposition said, “If you want Kumaraswamy and Deve Gowda to grow, then vote for JD(S). Deputy Commissioners (DC) are not obeying the present government. Revenue Inspectors (RI) do not care the words of DC. The PDOs are not listening to RI. Where is the government? Government is long dead. So from today let us see that each household votes for BJP and we elect a candidate who will work relentlessly and also let us pay our respects to Narendra Modi by electing Raghavendra,”

B S Raghavendra, BJP candidate for Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency said, “BJP had declared to make the state free of Congress rule. Now, when we observe the situation of Karnataka, it seems the JD (S) party itself is enough to oust Congress from Karnataka. The coming five to six months are crucial for Byndoor and Shivamogga to implement the schemes that are awarded by the BJP government at the center. You have elected Yeddyurappa for the Lok Sabha and now you need to elect me in order to implement the projects. The activists have to convince the voters regarding the schemes given by the central government and the failures of the state government and make them vote for BJP.”

Shobha Karandlaje, MP of Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha constituency said, “Congress had ridiculed BJP earlier that BJP is not getting suitable candidate for the bypoll. But today Congress is in that situation. Congress is pushed to such a position by the Nehru family that they have to literally beg Madhu Bangarappa to contest. The contribution of Byndoor activists of BJP will be vital for winning both Byndoor and Shivamogga.

If our activists are willing, then Raghavendra will win by at least a lead of 50,000 votes. Where is JD (S) in Byndoor? We have to search for it by flashing a torchlight. As JD (S) is not there, the election in Byndoor will be one-sided affair. BJP has to march forward with the confidence of getting nearly 90% votes in Byndoor.”

Mattaru Ratnakar Hegde, BJP district president, Halady Srinivas Shetty, Kundapur MLA, Sunil Kumar, Karkala MLA, Raghupati Bhat, Udupi MLA, Lalaji Mendon, Kaup MLA, Sunil Naik, Bhatkal MLA, Bharathi Shetty, president of state women morcha of BJP, and members of zilla panchayat Babu Hegde, Shankar Poojary, Suresh Battavadi, Shobha Putran and Rohit Kumar Shetty were present.

Byndoor MLA Sukumar Shetty introduced. Byndoor zonal president Sadananda Uppinakudru welcomed the gathering. Byndoor Yuva Morcha president Sharath Kumar Shetty rendered the vote of thanks. The programme was compered by chief secretary of Byndoor zone, Deepak Kumar Shetty.

Speaking to the scribes after the event, B S Yeddyurappa said, “At least now D K Shivakumar has agreed that divide that was created by the Congress between Veerashaiva and Lingayat communities is the reason for their defeat in the last assembly elections. I am really happy that he has realised the mistakes of Congress. In the future they should not play politics of religion and caste. No one should do the dirty job of dividing caste and society for political gain. D K Shivakumar said that Congress has burnt its fingers by dividing the caste,”