Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi
Udupi, Mar 15: The district Congress on Saturday March 15 took out a padayatra for 'building a strong' nation' and for garnering support for Udupi-Chikmagalur candidate Jayaprakash Hegde.
The rally was inaugurated at Congress office and passed through Brahmagiri circle - taluk office - Bannanje - city bus stand - K M Marg, and Jodukatte, before culminating back at Congress office.
Inaugurating the rally, Udupi district incharge minister Vinay Kumar Sorake said that the Congress-led UPA government has fulfilled 70 percent of the promises made in its manifesto with regard to development work, and in Udupi-Chikmagalur too, MP Jayaprakash Hegde has done good work for the benefit of the people.
"We need make sure that in the next five years too J P Hegde can carry out more development works. Hence this rally has been organized to help him win," he said.
He further said that union ministers from the region Oscar Fernandes and Veerappa Moily had held talks with other central ministers about developing this region, and the purpose of holding the padayatra was to create awareness on this.
"J P Hegde is one of the best MPs in the state. He is interested in doing good work and implementing pro-people projects," he added.
Attacking his opponent from BJP Shobha Karandlaje, he said, "Shobha Karandlaje said yesterday that she is from here. She should clarify exactly how she belongs to Udupi.
"She said crimes against women have increased under Congress rule. When she was a minister crimes against women had greatly increased. If she was really concerned about women, she should have resigned as a minister then and worked for their welfare. It's only now during election time that she remembers women. People will give her a fitting answer," Sorake said.
MLA Pramod Madhwaraj said, "Ten years ago the country was in 33rd place in terms of development, but today it is in the third spot. UPA's administration is the reason for this development. If BJP comes to power it will give importance only to corporates and only the rich. Hence people should not support BJP. Congress has always been there for the poor and the underprivileged."
District Congress president Gopal Poojary, CMC president Yuvaraj, CMC vice-president Amritha Krishnamurthy, Mahila Congress president Veronica Cornelio, Celina Karkala, Amruth Shenoy, Ramesh Kanchan and others were present.