Kumaraswamy Names Sadananda Shetty as JD(S) Candidate from M'lore South

Pics: Ramesh Pandith / Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (PS)

Mangalore, Oct 29: City-based entrepreneur A Sadananda Shetty will contest for JD(S) from Mangalore South constituency in the coming state assembly elections, announced JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy here on Monday October 29.

As announced earlier, Sadananda Shetty formally joined JD(S) during the JD(S) convention held at Town Hall here on Monday. He was welcomed into the party by Kumaraswamy with a flag and shawl.

This is the first candidate announcement by the JD(S) in the state for the upcoming elections.

Addressing the convention, Kumaraswamy said that the party's manifesto will lay emphasis on the farmers' welfare and many projects have been designed by the JD(S) in this regard. "This is not an empty promise or a ploy to misguide people during elections, but a true promise which JD(S) will fulfil," he assured.

Expressing hope that Dakshina Kannada district will support JD(S) this time, he said that he was confident of the party's victory looking at the turnout for the convention. Several people including doctors joined the party on the occasion.

Coming down heavily on BJP and Congrss, Kumaraswamy said that JD(S) will not allow the two parties to undermine JD(S) and play politics. "People are watching the political developments in the state carefully," he pointed out.

Criticizing the recent visit by Congress national president Sonia Gandhi to the city, he said that the she mainly gave advise to Congress leaders not to indulge in internal conflicts and to attack the BJP. He pointed out that she did not present any issue or raise any concern to win the trust of the people, but only focused on the failures of BJP.

"A national party should not lower itself to this level, where it has no strategy to contest the elections other than pointing fingers at other parties," he added.

"The state Congress only spoke of BJP's corruption in the last four years, but did not bring anything before the public. In this regard, JD(S) has proved to be the real opposition party in the state," he said.

He also took potshots at former CM Yeddyurappa and said that the latter was claiming that if he was given five years he would surpass Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi in development. "But what has happened is that the loan on 6 crore people of the state has gone up from Rs 50,000 crore to Rs 1.16 lac crore during Yeddyurapp's reign," he said.

"The VAT was increased from 12.5 percent to 14 percent, and widow and handicap pension schemes at Rs 400 per month introduced by me were stopped. Even though media has highlighted the plight of endosulfan victims, the government has not done anything," he said.

He also attacked union petroleum minister Dr Veerappa Moily and said, "Moily sitting in the AC room in New Delhi and making political calculations about Karnataka will not work." This he said with regard to Moily's recent assessment that Congress has good chance of winning in the state given Yeddyurappa's separation from BJP.

"People in DK district are known for their self-respect. Hence JD(S) is confident of getting more support this time," HDK said.

"BJP which had come to power in the name of building Ram Mandir in Ayodhya showed only bricks and collected money, but did not build the temple. Such a party should be routed out," he added.

JD(S) leader M C Nanaiah addressed the gathering and said that Congress had become a party not wanted by anyone, and BJP which spoke about 'change' has brought unrest in every village. "Political changes are needed in DK district," he said and questioned the people whether they want 'Taliban culture' in the district.

"Yeddyurappa who had indulged in Operation Kamala later revealed that he did so on the orders of the BJP high command. Caste system in politics has completely ruined the state," he said.

"There may come a day when BJP may call Yeddyurappa back into its fold with a promise that it would contest the elections under his leadership," he said, adding that anything is possible.

Pointing out that projects worth Rs 22,000 crore are still pending in the state, he said that they should remain so for the next three months as elections are nearing.

State JD(S) youth president Madhu Bangarappa assured that if JD(S) comes to power it will work for the welfare of the poor and for the farmers.

Amarnath Shetty, MLA Zameer Ahmed, Devi Prasad Shetty, Nagaraj Shetty, and others were present.

The occasion also marked the celebration of Valmiki Jayanti.

Press Meet

'BJP appeasing Yeddy, not fit to rule state'

Addressing a press meet after the convention, Kumaraswamy reiterated his anti-BJP and anti-Congress slogan and said that both the national parties are preparing for the upcoming elections, but at the same time, chaos is prevailing in both.

"Congress and BJP have no concern for the state. Apart from Jagadish Shettar BJP has no responsible leader. BJP leaders claim that they will do a lot for the state, but have not done anything," he said.

"BJP is not fit to rule the state. People have chosen them for development but they have failed in their duty," he said, adding that BJP is busy with its own problems and thereby failed to solve problems of the people.

"In many villages of Karnataka there are problems of drinking water facility; borewells are dug but bills are not paid. Farmers have sown seeds which have now dried up, but the chief minister is not concerned."

Referring to the confusion created in BJP by Yeddyurappa, he said, "BJP has been discussing only about Yeddyurappa - whether he will stay or leave them. In Shettar's government some people say they support Yeddyurappa, but in Assembly they belong to BJP. Yeddyurappa says he will not bring down BJP and that his supporters should remain in the party, and yet he says he has nothing to do with BJP."

"Ministers are trying to appease Yeddyurappa. Can they solve people's problems?" he questioned, adding that state BJP chief Eshwarappa is always changing statements and never firm.

'Rs 80,000 crore not from centre, collected from state'

He also launched a tirade against Congress and said that Sonia Gandhi had made a statement in Mangalore that the central government had given Rs 80,000 crore to the state government. "But this money was collected from the state itself in the form of taxes. The centre has not given any money of its own. If they have given anything more than Rs 80,000 crore let them prove it," he said, adding that Sonia Gandhi never spoke about development in Mangalore but only about her own party and the BJP.

"Both BJP and Congress are playing with the people's sentiments," he said.

JD(S) Manifesto

He said that JD(S) has prepared an election manifesto in which there are 35 subjects dealing with the welfare of farmers and agriculture. It speaks of farmers' condition, suicides, horticulture, scientific invention in agriculture and so on, apart from programmes for women.

Pointing out that BJP has failed to implement its earlier manifesto, he said that he prepared the JD(S) manifesto after talking to people and understanding their problems. Hence, priority has been given to farmers.

When asked about S M Krishna taking charge of Congress revival in the state, he said that it will not make any difference to the JD(S). "The scenario has changed since the last elections. It does not matter to JD(S), whoever comes."