PM Modi, Shah events lined up this weekend; Karnataka BJP hopes to overcome setbacks

Bengaluru, March 23 (IANS) Even as the opposition parties are making a big hue and cry over the repeated visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Karnataka, the BJP seems to be going all the more aggressive.

PM Modi is visiting the state on March 25 and Shah is taking up the state tour on March 24 and 26. With back to back visits and high-voltage campaigning in mega events across the state, the ruling BJP is hoping to create maximum impact on voters.

Amit Shah is unveiling statues of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda and Basaveshwar. Sardar Patel statue is built at Gorta village in Bidar district in north Karnataka.

Bengaluru architect Kempe Gowda and social reformer Basaveshwara statues have been built in the premises of the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru. Amit Shah will unveil them on March 26.

The opposition parties are fuming over the BJP's campaigning blitzkrieg. Opposition leader Siddaramaiah had said that "the people who are opposed to the principles of Basaveshwar are unveiling the statue, what is the message they are giving?

"Shah is visiting Karnataka during elections only with a political motive. He is doing it only for votes and power," he said.

On March 25, PM Modi will inaugurate the much awaited Metro-line from K.R. Puram to Whitefield. The stretch is known as the tech corridor and a large number of IT professionals travel to Whitefield.

The Karnataka Congress unit has raised objections to the repeated visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and slammed him by saying that "he has become a quack doctor of inaugurating half-baked projects in the state for gaining mileage in elections."

Randeep Singh Surjewala, Karnataka in-charge and General Secretary of Congress had said, "The CM Bommai-Modi governments know that the BJP will be decisively defeated in the Assembly polls here. They are desperately trying every publicity stunt to stay afloat and failing miserably each time.

"Are Modi-Bommai governments putting poll publicity over the lives of Bengalureans and public safety, especially when the Metro Construction in Bangalore has already claimed 38 precious lives?" Randeep Singh Surjewala said.

He said, "On March 25, PM Modi will inaugurate a Metro Line from nowhere to nowhere in Bengaluru. Once again it is a discontinuous, disjointed and disconnected Metro Line which will cause more problems to Bengalureans.

"The only yield will be a media event of the Prime Minister riding a standalone metro that is disconnected from the existing Metro Line. It will also gravely endanger Public Safety."

On the other hand, BJP insiders claim that the visits of PM Modi and Amit Shah will give the party a shot in the arm ahead of polls. They also say that the visits of top leaders to Karnataka will set right the setbacks caused by episodes of the BJP MLA becoming prime accused in a bribe for tender case; and also BJP MLCs Puttanna and Baburao Chinchanasur joining the Congress party.