BENGALURU: Ahead of Assembly polls in Karnataka next year, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and his cabinet ministers are requesting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to launch several schemes, lay foundation stones, or inaugurate development works.
On Monday, Bommai said the 108-ft mega statue of Bengaluru founder Kempegowda, installed at Kempegowda International Airport, and the landscape with museum is expected to be inaugurated by PM Modi. “We are hoping it will be completed by October,’’ he stated. Timing it with Dasara, the much-awaited Bengaluru-Mysuru highway, that is expected to halve the three-hour travel time, is also expected to launched by Modi. The Karnataka BJP, which needs to do better in Old Mysuru region, is banking on Modi’s image to get more numbers.
The State government is also looking to have various irrigation related works inaugurated in Central Karnataka, for which they plan to invite Modi. Meanwhile, some of the schemes including ‘Vinaya Samarasya’ by the Social Welfare Department, to eradicate untouchability at the panchayat level, is also expected to be green-flagged by Modi.
Social Welfare Minister Kota Shrinivas Poojari had stated that they are planning to invite the PM for their ambitious schemes. “Modi was busy last week with a series of events. We are planning to invite him to inaugurate here, if not, he can do it virtually,” he said.
BJP sources said PM Modi will visit Karnataka at least once in two months, if everything goes well. “There are many factors which work in our favour if PM Modi comes to Karnataka to launch or inaugurate schemes. We get more publicity. His visit creates an election atmosphere, and more people attend and listen to him. If our CM or other ministers do this, the effect will not be as big,’’ sources said.