"Be careful about 'shortcut politics' of Congress, JDS": PM Modi in Karnataka

Belagavi (Karnataka) [India], May 3 (ANI): Attacking Congress and Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) ahead of the Karnataka assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said people of the state must be careful about 'shortcut politics' of the Congress and JDS.
Addressing an election rally in Bailhongal, Prime Minister said, "The people of Karnataka have to be careful of the shortcut politics of the Congress and JDS. This shortcut governance gave birth to the vote-bank politics in the country. Whenever a party does this sort of politics, they think of dividing society, just like Congress. The youth who are born in the 21st century do not want to be cut short by leaving their future in the hands of shortcut people."
Due to this very shortcut politics, PM Modi said thousands of villages did not have electricity after so many years of independence.
Likewise, crores of Indians did not have a roof over their head, bank accounts and tap water connections. "However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is working to get rid of shortcut governance," he said.
The accountability of the Congress leaders, PM Modi said is towards the royal family in Delhi.
"The royal family controls the leaders through its remote control. JDS is a private limited company. Its accountability is towards the owner of the family. However, for the BJP, every family in Karnataka is our family and we have accountability towards the people," he said.
He further said, "For whom the glorification of their family is the only agenda, they cannot worry about the sacrifices of the ordinary family and their sorrows and happiness. That is why they repeatedly abuse Veer Savarkar ji and spreads lies against him. When Baba Saheb Ambedkar was alive, he was insulted repeatedly."
PM Modi said Congress and JDS have been rejected everywhere.
"Congress-led government is only present in three states of the country. In the 2018 elections, more than half of the MLAs of JDS hailed from only three districts and these districts have also decided to get rid of these parties," he said.
Prime Minister said Karnataka has decided to give an absolute majority to the BJP and it can be attributed to the trust of the youth, marginalized and women in the party. Almost every family in Karnataka has benefitted from the welfare scheme of the government, he said.
"Unity is the biggest formula for the development of Karnataka. The kind of conspiracy being hatched against Karnataka today, efforts are being made to change the identity of Karnataka... The way Congress has made it the biggest base for appeasement. The people of Karnataka have to be careful about this. Only the solidarity of your people will defeat the Congress and its like-minded people," added PM Modi.
In 2009, he said the Congress government gave a guarantee that they would connect all villages of the country with broadband internet. "In three years, broadband internet was provided to less than 100 Gram Panchayats. This is what their guarantee is. We have provided connectivity to more than 2 lakh gram panchayats. It is for you to decide which kind of government you want," PM Modi said.
Giving a major boost to the BJP's election campaign in Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held massive roadshows and public meetings in the poll-bound state over the past few days.
The BJP has pulled out all its top guns and heavyweights in Karnataka in a bid to retain the only southern state it rules. Apart from Prime Minister Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda have also been making frequent campaign visits to the state and taking out massive rallies in the state ahead of the May 10 polls.
The saffron party, which is seeking a second term in the state, has exuded confidence about returning to power with a full majority.
Counting votes for the Karnataka Assembly will occur on May 13. (ANI)