We didn't work like PM Modi, failed to set proper narrative: CT Ravi on Karnataka poll loss
says, Opposition parties working for Adani, Ambani; BJP and Modi committed to uplift of the poor
Panaji, Jun 12: The BJP lost the Karnataka Assembly polls as it could not work in the southern state the way Prime Minister Narendra Modi works at the national level and also failed to set a proper narrative before elections, party general secretary C T Ravi said on Monday.
The senior BJP leader said it was Opposition parties that were working for industrialists "Adani and Ambani," while Modi and his party were committed to uplift of the poor.
Hitting out at the Congress, he said the party was associated with corruption, communalism and family politics.
Addressing a press conference here in Goa, Ravi said multiple factors were involved in the outcome of the Assembly polls in Karnataka, where the Congress put up an impressive performance last month, winning more than 130 seats in the 224-member House.
The BJP bagged 65 seats, down from more than 100 in 2018.
"The BJP has managed to secure its own vote. Due to guarantee card (pre-poll promises made by Congress), we lost 100-200 votes in each polling booth," he said.
The general secretary in-charge of Goa, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu said the BJP could not set a proper narrative in Karnataka head of polls last month, which was one of the reasons for its loss in the southern state.
The BJP failed to retain power in Karnataka "as we could not work like PM (at the national level)", said Ravi.
Speaking further, he alleged it was Opposition parties that were working for top industrialists in the country, while the BJP was pro-poor.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a reformer, performer and transformer. The Opposition has been making baseless allegations against him. PM Modi has never worked for Adani and Ambani. It was Opposition parties which were working for Adani and Ambani," Ravi said.
The BJP leader said the Modi government has been working for "the poor people through its welfare schemes and policies".
"Modi introduced 'Make In India' concept which will help the country become self-reliant," he maintained.
Ravi alleged the Congress rule between 2004-2014 was linked to corruption which was not the case with the BJP-led government at the Centre.
"We have to compare the situation during the UPA (headed by Congress) to the current Modi-led rule. We can say the Congress means scam. Today there is no scam. The BJP means scheme, while the Congress means scam," he claimed.
The BJP leader said the poor have been made part of the administrative system under the Modi government and pointed out that crores of bank accounts have been opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, a financial inclusion programme, since 2014.
He said the Congress means communalism and family politics. "Politics of Modi encompasses entire India, while Congress politics means only their own family members," Ravi said.
The BJP leader said political outfits like the NCP, the Samajwadi Party, the RJD, the JDS, the National Conference and the TMC are "pariwarwadi parties" (family run).
"All these parties are against the BJP. They claim democracy is under threat but there is no (internal) democracy in their own parties. There is dynasty and dictatorship," he alleged.
The BJP leader claimed foreign policies were earlier either Russia or America-centric, but now they have become "India-centric".
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Karnataka Assembly passes bill on Palace Grounds amid opposition protest
Bengaluru, Mar 6 (PTI): The Karnataka Assembly on Thursday passed the Bangalore Palace (Utilisation and Regulation of Land) Bill, reaffirming state ownership over 472 acres and 16 guntas of land here, amid protests by the opposition BJP.
During the discussion, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said the state government would have to provide Rs 200 crore worth of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) for each acre of land, which means that for 15 acres, Rs 3,000 crore worth of TDR would be issued.
“If we accept it, then this 2-km stretch of road will become the costliest road in the world. If we accept it then how are we going to develop the city in later stages? How will you carry out development works?” asked Patil.
He also pointed out that this question was raised not only under the Congress government but also during the previous BJP regime.
However, the BJP-led cabinet has opposed the project.
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“Suppose we agree to it then, what will be the valuation of the 472 acres? It will be lakhs and lakhs of crores of rupees. Can we accept?” Patil wondered.
The Minister said the government had previously exercised its executive powers to issue an ordinance, which was approved by the Governor. Now the government is bringing a bill with two amendments.
“In this bill, we have made provisions either to develop or drop the road development work,” Patil explained.
However, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra and BJP MLA Arvind Bellad opposed the move, alleging that the government was targetting Yaduveer Krishna Datta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of the Mysuru royal family, and the BJP MP from Mysuru-Kodagu constituency out of political vendetta.
“We talk of 472 acres of Mysuru Maharaja but here there are many Maharajas who too own 400 acres, 500 acres and thousands of acres of land, which is known to everyone,” Bellad said.
He slammed the Congress government, saying political power should not be misused for personal vendetta.
“Why (the then Deputy Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah brought the law in 1996 pertaining to the Bangalore Palace? Why are you setting eyes on the Bangalore Palace?” he asked.
Vijayendra charged that Wadiyar won the election on BJP ticket so the state government realised that it should acquire it.
“This bill has been brought for political vengeance. We are not discussing whether Rs 3,000 crore is exorbitant or not but the moment Yaduveer became MP, the state government woke up. You should be ashamed. This house should not be used for political vendetta,” he said.
Intervening, Minister Priyank Kharge said Vijayendra should not have raised it because the intention behind building the road was noble.
According to him, the BJP too had the same plan when it was in power.
He sought to know whether thousands of crores of rupees be spent on a road which should have cost significantly less.
In response, BJP MLA B A Basavaraj (Byrathi) said issuing TDR will not be a burden on the state government and appealed to the ruling Congress to reconsider its stance.
Minister Ramalinga Reddy too explained that the Karnataka government acquired the entire land way back in 1996.
The Mysuru royal family went to the High Court, which gave ruling in favour of the state government. The royal family then approached the Supreme Court, where the case is still going on, the Minister pointed out.
“The final judgment is pending in the SC to decide whether the acquisition was right or wrong. If the SC says it’s the royal family’s property then let it be so. If the order is in the state government’s favour then we can take a decision. The bill is only about it,” Reddy explained.
Speaker U T Khader then called for a voice vote and the bill was passed by the Assembly amidst opposition BJP’s discontent.
