RAICHUR/BELAGAVI : BJP sounded its biggest political battle cry against the ruling Congress by launching its 170 km ‘Ballari Chalo’ padayatra from Lingasugur on Tuesday, with the party’s almost entire top leadership showing up.
Led by party state president BY Vijayendra, the 10-day march is aimed at highlighting what the party called the Congress government’s administrative failures, corruption and “anti-people, anti-Dalit and anti-development” policies.
The presence of the top leadership signalled the party’s intent to turn the padayatra into a major political campaign against the government.
Former chief ministers BS Yediyurappa, Jagadish Shettar and Basavaraj Bommai, Leader of Opposition R Ashoka, Vijayendra, Opposition Leader in the Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, former ministers B Sriramulu, G Janardhana Reddy and CT Ravi, along with Raju Gouda, K Shivanagouda Nayak, MPs Govinda Karajol and Ramesh Jigajinagi, MLA Manappa Vajjal and other senior leaders participated in the event at GK Residency Ground on the Lingasugur-Bengaluru Bypass Road.
The leaders formally kicked off the padayatra by blowing trumpets, declaring that BJP will continue its campaign until the Congress government is “removed from power”.
Fight will continue beyond Sept 10, says Vijayendra
Vijayendra told reporters that the conclusion of the padayatra on September 10 will not mark the end of BJP’s campaign against the Congress government.
“All our senior leaders are participating in this padayatra. It will be a historic struggle,” he said, asserting that BJP will intensify its fight against “a corrupt and anti-people government”.
The BJP leadership accused the Congress government of neglecting the interests of the poor, dalits and the development of the state, and declared that the party will launch an organised political campaign to pave the way for the BJP-led NDA to return to power in the state.
BJP initially mounted pressure on the government seeking the resignation of then minister B Nagendra over alleged irregularities in the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation. Though Nagendra resigned, BJP has expanded the scope of its campaign, citing a wider range of alleged administrative and governance failures.
The padayatra will continue till September 10, covering nine Assembly constituencies across Raichur, Koppal and Ballari districts.
The launch is seen as a calculated attempt by BJP to project unity within the party and regain political momentum in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region. Before the launch, Vijayendra offered special prayers at Amareshwara Temple in Gurugunta and later met Sri Gajadanda Shivayogi Shivacharya Swamiji and sought his blessings.
Nagendra’s resignation won’t end fight: Ashoka
BJP’s agitation will continue despite the resignation of former minister B Nagendra, Leader of Opposition in Assembly R Ashoka said, alleging large-scale corruption and administrative failure under the Congress government. He said BJP will continue its fight over drought relief, KPSC recruitment scam, pending pensions, ration card cancellations, garbage tender issue and Bidadi Township.
“Because of our agitation, more ministers will have to resign,” he said, alleging that Nagendra was made a scapegoat in the alleged Rs 187 crore Valmiki Corporation scam. He demanded action against other ministers, including Priyank Kharge. He accused the government of failing to provide drought relief despite crop losses across the state and demanded Rs 50,000 per acre compensation to farmers. He demanded the resignation of Minister Basavaraj Rayareddi for his reported remarks on Islam and accused the Congress government of “insulting Hindu sentiments”.
Yediyurappa described the padayatra as a ‘clarion call’, reflecting the aspirations of six crore Kannadigas.He said BJP’s agitation will continue until the “anti-farmer, anti-people and corrupt” Congress government is removed from power.
“This is not an election campaign but the beginning of a movement to oust the corrupt Congress government,” he said, questioning whether Chief Minister Shivakumar had the freedom to take independent decisions.
PADAYATRA JUST TO SHOW ASHOKA, BYV DOING SOMETHING: HARIPRASAD
Bengaluru: Terming BJP leader and former chief minister BS Yediyurappa the ‘father of corruption’, KPCC president BK Hariprasad questioned the BJP’s ongoing anti-government padayatra. Hariprasad held a consultation meeting with Congress candidates who lost the 2023 Assembly elections in Bengaluru and discussed the ongoing SIR process, preparations for local body elections and strengthening the party organisation.
Speaking to reporters later, Hariprasad slammed Yediyurappa and said if there is a father of corruption in the country, it is Yediyurappa. “It is laughable that a person who went to jail over taking bribes is now fighting against corruption,’’ he said. Referring to the BJP-JDS alliance, Hariprasad said it is good that both the parties are together.
He mocked the BJP’s padayatra, saying that BJP leaders R Ashoka and BY Vijayendra had failed to accomplish anything in three years and were now undertaking the march merely to create an impression that they were doing something. Hariprasad also said Congress leaders had held discussions with candidates who lost the 2023 Assembly elections, the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and drought relief measures in Kalyana Karnataka.