Udupi: Bypoll Campaign Goes Glamourous as Ramya, Bhavana, Lokesh Join in
Shubhalakshmi
Pics: Hemanath Padubidri
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (RD)
Udupi, Mar 14: The run-up to the Udupi-Chikmagalur bypoll got a starry touch on Wednesday March 14 with Sandalwood actors Ramya, Bhavana and Aadi Lokesh arriving in Udupi.
Popular actress Ramya offered puja at Sri Krishna Mutt. She will address students of National Students' Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of Indian National Congress at 'padayatra' to be held on Thursday March 15.
The padayatra will begin from Congress Bhavan, Brahmagiri and move through Ajjarkad, taluk office, court road and K M Marg to terminate at service bus stand.
AICC general secretary Oscar Fernandes will flag off the padayatra at 3 pm on Thursday.
Congress stalwarts M Veerappa Moily and B Janardhan Poojary, Udupi – Chikmagalur parliamentary bypolls Congress candidate K Jayaprakash Hegde, C M Ibrahim, the District Congress Committee (DCC) president K Gopal Poojary, Udupi block Congress president Pramod Madhwaraj, the leaders of NSUI and youth Congress will also address the programme.
Meanwhile, two other actors, Bhavana and Aadi Lokesh officially joined Congress on the same day.
Speaking at a press meet, Bhavana said that Congress is a party with a long history, a party which had given rise to a number of stalwarts. "Congress has served the country for many many years, and responded well to the needs of the people," she added.
Lokesh said that he would like to follow the example set by AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi.
KCC general secretary Umashree said that both Bhavana and Lokesh had joined Congress of their own free will, as they were inspired by the ideals of the party.
Both Lokesh and Bhavana also canvassed around the town.
Don't Vote for BJP: Shantaram Naik
Shantaram Naik, MP and secretary of AICC in charge Karnataka, appealed to the voters of Udupi-Chikmagalur parliamentary constituency to not to vote for a party which does not allow parliament to function.
Addressing a press conference at Congress Bhavan, here on Wednesday March 14, Naik said that a vote for BJP in the bypoll would be a vote gone waste, as BJP had shown by its recent conduct that it has no faith in the parliamentary process.
Naik said that during every session hundreds of crore of rupees are lost due to BJP, whose members stop the proceedings of both houses of the parliament, due to which a number of bills do not get passed and important debates and daily hours were being sacrificed.
"Hence, the obvious choice is Congress and its candidate Jayaprakash Hegde," he said.
Naik further said that the union government is keen on reducing unemployment and that the government aims to provide training to 85 lac people during 2012 – 13 and 800 lac people during the Twelfth Five-year Plan.
He said that a legislation is likely to be passed in the parliament which would give security to anyone bringing to notice illegalities and instances of corruption in government departments.
A bill on Citizens Charter will also become law during the session, said Naik.
Naik said that an amendment to the Land Acquisition Act which is also likely to be passed during the forthcoming budget session will have a humane approach towards land acquisition, wherein an assessment of social impact would be made before land is acquired. "No land will be acquired for private companies except in very rare cases. Those who have lost their land will be given jobs, land to build house, agricultural lands and monetary compensation," he added.
A new law on Benami transactions is also likely to be passed to prevent people from buying land, plots, houses etc in the name of their relatives and servants, said Naik.