Ghulam Nabi Azad hits the campaign trail in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi; says JD(S) is finished chapter

Mangaluru/Udupi, May 9: Ghulam Nabi Azad, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha today campaigned for the Congress candidates in coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi for May 12 Karnataka assembly polls.

Speaking to media persons in Mangaluru, the former union minister hailed the achievements of chief minister Siddaramaiah led Congress government and urged the people to save the state from Bharatiya Janata Party.

Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a liability to the nation as against his portrayal of himself being the 'saviour', the veteran Congress leader said that money power plays a major role in BJP politics.

"They buy voters and gather people to their prime minister’s rally by spending billions. It is not the people who come on their own. They are bought and brought," he alleged.

He added that the Congress firmly believes and shall remain committed to the thought that politics and religion are two different entities which cannot be brought together.

The modus operandi of BJP solely depends on money and not on the performance unlike Congress, he said.

Congress would always fight the battle on the performances delivered and not on hollow slogans and false promises, Azad said.

He said that performance-wise, the BJP is miles behind the Congress. He added that Karnataka and south Indians are very wise and if at all they fall for the money power of BJP, there would not be any such big tragedy in the legacy of politics. It would be unfortunate and only God has to save the country.

However, it will not happen, he stated confidently. BJP is known for preaching and not delivering. The prime minister is also similar as he only preaches and does not deliver, he said.

"He shows the moon but does not even give mud to people. The promises made to farmers, women and unemployed youths are not fulfilled," Azad said.

Karnataka government has offered free rice and other cereals for 65% people and 1.5 crore children are given milk and eggs. The loans up to Rs 50,000 have been waived for each farmer, he said.

Lambasting the BJP and its association with the Reddy brothers, the former Union minister said that the corruption amount of Reddy brothers is equal to four budgets of Jammu and Kashmir.

Claiming that MGNREGS is one of the biggest employment programmes in the world, the parliamentarian said that the programme has benefited 65 crore, unskilled people. It is the biggest social employment scheme, he said.

"The Congress will not make promises but it is committed to delivering. The programmes which were carried out or executed by Congress-led Karnataka government and UPA 1 and 2 were also not promised rather they were silently delivered to people," he said. He said JD(S) is a finished chapter, the party would get a maximum of 10-15 seats.

There are bright chances of Congress forming the government, he said and asserted that he can easily predict from his experience in the state as general secretary in-charge for Karnataka Assembly polls since 1988 and the geography of the politics in the state. "We are on a strong footing when compared to five years ago," he asserted.