Karnataka   

Modi calls for an end to coalition politics in Karnataka

HUBLI: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi used the Bharatiya Janata Party’s farmers’ rally at Nehru Stadium here on Monday to explain the “Gujarat model”, highlighting measures taken by his Government to help farmers.

Launching the party’s election campaign for the coming Assembly elections in the State by beating a drum, Mr. Modi, who is a national general secretary of the party, appealed to the farmers to vote for the BJP to replicate the Gujarat “success story” in Karnataka.

Engaging the crowd by making them answer questions that he put to them, he explained what he had done for farmers in his State, apparently in response to recent questions raised by a few Janata Dal (Secular) leaders about Mr. Modi’s contribution to the welfare of farmers.

He began his speech by playing the betrayal card and said that “betrayal” was the most dangerous problem that the country faced, and unless the people taught a lesson to people who “betrayed” their acquaintances, the trend would continue.

Mr. Modi called on the farmers to teach the “betrayers” a lesson in the elections by voting for the BJP.

He also appealed to the people of the State to put an end to coalition politics and give a clear mandate, as a stable government would be able to adopt a focussed approach to development.

He said his Government had provided round-the-clock power supply to villages, insurance cover to farmers and helped increase income from agricultural production from Rs. 9,000 crore to Rs. 35,000 crore in a span of five years. In five years his Government had created three lakh water bodies to enable proper water management, while previous governments in Gujarat had created only 12,000 water bodies.

Mr. Modi termed the Rs. 60,000-crore loan waiver scheme announced in the Union Budget for 2008-09 a big fraud. Just six months ago the estimate was that Rs. 25,000 crore would be required to waive loans of farmers in distress.

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