Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (PS)
Mangalore, Feb 27: "The upcoming bypoll for the Udupi-Chikamagalur Lok Sabha constituency is a matter of prestige for the Congress, the party will play the developmental activities promoted by the central government as its 'trump card' rather than ride on the failure of the scam-hit BJP-led state government," said union minister of state for railways K H Muniyappa while speaking to reporters at Mangalore Airport on Monday February 27.
He added that though the state government is tarnished by various land, mining, and sex scams, those will not be focused upon to make the people vote against them, rather developmental projects initiated by the UPA-led central government will be projected to make the people vote for Congress.
To a query as to whether the sudden demise of higher education minister Dr V S Acharya will gain sympathy votes for the BJP, Muniyappa said that his death was a great loss to the state but the sympathy factor is not present and the party’s candidate K Jayaprakash Hegde will emerge as the winning candidate with a large of majority votes.
The minister further said that the Kadur-Chikamagalur and Chikamagalur-Sakleshpura train is coming up soon for which the prime minister has granted the proposed amount.
Answering a query on increased numbers of misdeeds in trains, Muniyappa said that the government is considering the tension that has arisen from such incidents, and there are plans to increase the number of railway police as well as government police.
“The Sam Pitroda committee report which compiles the details suggesting overhaul of railway’s communication will be presented before the railway board for upgradation of the railway’s communication system,” he said.
Moodbidri MLA Abhayachandra Jain and Congress leader Moideen Bava were also present.