Mangaluru : Forest minister Ramanath Rai predicted an exodus from the BJP after the declaration of official candidate list for Dakshina Kannada (DK) by the saffron party, during a press meet here on April 10.
Many elements in the BJP are in touch with the Congress and are waiting in the wings for the official announcement of candidate list for DK to quit the party, said minister Rai talking to media at Congress Bhavan in Kadri.
Banking on the support of the people based on the achievements of the Congress government in the state, Rai said, “the development works carried out by the Congress legislators in Dakshina Kannada will turn in their favour and eventually help the party regain power”.
Blaming union government for spike in prices of petroleum products, Rai said, despite International prices ruling low, the BJP government at the center is increasing the prices to hurt common people. This is being done to keep the rich flock happy, pointing at the capitalists, who supported the BJP to form the government at the center in 2014, Rai added.
Even during recession, the UPA government ensured safety of public money but with the present BJP government uncertainties loom large, Rai said pointing at Lalit Modi, Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya, who have taken shelter abroad by cheating Indian banks of thousands of crores. There are leaks everywhere, pointing at CBSE question paper leak, Face book data leak, Aaadhar leak and even election dates leak, Rai said highlighting the failures of Modi led BJP government.
Terming People’s support to Rahul Gandhi’s campaign during Jana Ashirvad yathra as positive , Rai complemented the party men in the district for conducting the entire campaign in an organised manner.
When asked about Election Commission (EC) declaring Bantwal and Mangalore North constituencies as sensitive, Rai refused to comment and said that is the step taken by the EC for reasons known to them.
Expecting people of DK to shun communal agenda of the BJP, Rai sounded confident of winning all eight assembly segments in the district.
Attacking the BJP for assault on Dalits and vandalising statues of Ambedkar, Rai stated that the Congress party does not believe in divisive politics, instead strives for the unity and integrity through peace.
When NewsKarnataka.com asked about predicted exodus from youth congress in case of ticket denial to district youth congress president Mithun Rai, he showed ignorance on the ongoing twitter campaign and added no such thing has come to his notice.
The BJP has no issues of its own to fight the forthcoming assembly elections in the district and only relies on inciting communal elements to garner votes, Rai ridiculed
Expressing satisfaction on his own personal performance as district in-charge and forest minister in responding to the needs of the people of the district, Rai said, “As a people’s representative, I performed my duties with diligence and honesty”
DKCC president Harish Kumar, district campaign committee chief Dhananjay, corporator Shashidhar Hegde and local congress leaders Santosh Hegde, Deepak and Padmanabha were present.
