From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, May 2: Apart from intensively campaigning in his own Koratagere assembly constituency in Tumakuru district during the last few days, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President Dr G Parameshwara has been extensively touring other constituencies with the sole objective of ensuring a clear mandate to the ruling Congress party in the State.

"The focus is on doing everything possible to ensure that the Congress party is returned to power with a decisive majority,’’ he said winding up his campaign in Koratagere and other assembly constituencies in Tumakuru district on Tuesday.

Dr Parameshwara has toured the assembly constituencies of Chikkanayakanahalli, Tiptur, Turuvekere and Gubbi in Tumakuru district along with the party candidates.

He will be campaigning in Mahadevapura later this week after joining Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s two day hectic tour schedule in Bidar, Kalaburagi, Haveri and Gadag districts on May 3 and 4.

Expressing confidence that the ruling party will return to power with a comfortable majority based on its track record of good governance and delivering on its poll promises, Dr Parameshwara joined issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s diatribes against the Siddaramaiah government and asked the Prime Minister, who described himself as the "Pradhan Sevak,’’ to explain to the people what the NDA government did in the last four years.

Where are 2 crore jobs per year?

"Our party government in Karnataka has fulfilled over 90% of the 2013 electoral promises and rightly boasts of itself of having "delivered as promised,’’ he said and wanted the Prime Minister to tell the people, especially the jobless youth of the State and the country, as to what happened to the promise of creating 2 crore jobs per year or 8 crore jobs during the last 4 years. On the contrary, thousands of jobs were lost and small and medium businesses had to be closed down due to the ill-planned and ill-advised demonetisation, which failed to unearth black money, he said.

The KPCC Chief ridiculed Modi’s claim that "he is also a Kannadiga’’ after miserably failing to address any of the issues dear to Kannadigas and the people of Karnataka like the Mahadayi river water issue despite BJP being in power in Goa as well as in Maharashtra and at the Centre, the injustice and discrimination against Karnataka in the railway projects or in supporting the cause of Kannada.

"People of Karnataka are intelligent to see for themselves and make their own decisions instead of being fooled by reading out one or two lines in Kannada,’’ he said and asked Modi how he can ridicule Congress President Sri Rahul Gandhi for his wrong pronunciation when he himself was not able to speak in Kannada properly.

The KPCC Chief said the mere fact that Modi has been forced to campaign in the State was proof that the BJP has lost faith in the State party leaders. "But how can he weave any magic, when the Modi government has nothing to show for its achievements in the last 4 years?,’’ he asked.

Why this sudden love for Deve Gowda?

He said it was strange that the Prime Minister has suddenly developed love and admiration for JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda for being the only Kannadiga Prime Minister. "Is there something more to this sudden love?’’ he asked.

The KPCC Chief reminded Modi that it was the Congress party which propelled Deve Gowda to the Prime Minister’s post even though his Janata Dal party had won a mere 16 MPs. "How can he (Modi) accuse us of not showing respect to Deve Gowda?,’’ he said and reminded him that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah went to the latter’s residence for consultations during the Cauvery crisis.

Dr Parameshwara taunted the Prime Minister for refusing to answer the points and charges by Sri Rahul Gandhi on various issues, especially the mega deal involving purchase of Rafale fighter jets or why Bengaluru-based Central public sector undertaking, HAL, was denied the transfer of technology and how a firm established by Ambanis just a fortnight before signing the deal with France was chosen.

"The Prime Minister, who waxes eloquent about corruption or is trading charges against the Siddaramaiah government as a 10 % government, does not bother to provide any proof when all the investigating agencies from Income Tax Department, Enforcement Directorate or CBI were under his command. He maintains a divine silence,’’ the KPCC Chief said and wondered how Modi could speak about corruption while having B S Yeddyurappa and K S Eshwarappa on the dais.

Tour Programme of Congress President Sri Rahul Gandhi:

Day one, Thursday May 3 (Bidar)

11:30 Landing at Bidar
• 11:45-12:10 By Chopper: Bidar-Aurad, District: Bidar
• 12:20-13: 20 Corner Meeting at Aurad, District: Bidar
• 13:20-13: 40 By Chopper: Aurad-Bhalki
• 14:25-15:25 Corner Meeting at Bhalki, District: Bidar
• 15:30-16:00 By Chopper: Bhalki- Humnabad
• 16:00-17:00 Corner Meeting: at Humnabad, District: Bidar
• 17:00-18:30 By Bus: Humnabad- Bidar (Via Mannekhelli)
• 18:30-19:30 Corner Meeting at Bidar

Night Stay at Bidar

Day two, Friday May 4 (Kalaburagi, Gadag & Haveri)

• 11:15-11:45 By Chopper: Bidar- Kalagi, District: Kalaburagi
• 12:00-13:00 Public Meeting at Kalagi, District: Kalaburagi
• 13:10-13:40 By Chopper: Kalagi-Bidar
• 14:20-15:00 By Spl Flight: Bidar- Hubballi
• 15:10-15:45 By Chopper Hubballi- Gajendragad, Ron, Gadag
• 16:00-17:00 Corner Meeting at Gajendragad
• 17:10-17:50 By Chopper: Gajendragad – Shiggaon, District: Haveri
• 18:00-19:00 Corner Meeting at Shiggaon
• 19:00-19:50 By Road: Shiggaon- Hubballi Airport

Departure to Delhi from Hubballi Airport