BJP to fight 2023 assembly polls on development agenda: K'taka CM

Bengaluru, April 16 (IANS) Amid the politically surcharged atmosphere in Karnataka, the BJP's two-day state executive committee meeting began here on Saturday. With assembly elections due in about a year, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai urged the party rank and file to work unitedly for the BJP's victory in the next Assembly election.

"Let us work unitedly and go on a victory yatra. It would be the victory of Karnataka's poor. It would lead to building New India from New Karnataka. Let us strengthen the hands of our leaders Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and JP Nadda and make Karnataka contribute $1 trillion to make India a $5 trillion economy. Let us march with confidence without caring for the ranting of the Opposition," Bommai said.

The chief minister announced that the party would face the 2023 Assembly election on the development agenda.

"We will go with our development report card and seek people's mandate on a positive agenda. We will take our development works and programmes to every village and showcase our performance to weaker sections, Dalits, women and the youth. BJP believes in positive politics and will see the Lotus bloom in the state with the blessings of the people to form the government," the Karnataka Chief Minister said.

While the party adopted an aggressive stance over several issues such as the hijaab controversy, boycotting Muslim traders and halaal meat over the past few months, the controversy over former minister and senior party leader Eshwarappa has given the opposition Congress party a chance to target it.

The BJP has been under attack from the opposition parties following the death under suspicious circumstances of Santosh Patil, a party worker and contractor.

The deceased had accused Eshwarappa of demanding a 40 per cent kickback for clearing his pending bills.

While Eshwarappa has submitted his resignation to the chief minister on Friday, the Congress is continuing its protests demanding the arrest of Eshwarappa.

However on Saturday, Bommai was dismissive of the Congress.

"The Congress would sink without a trace in 2023. What credibility do they have to go to the electorate? Their scams are still alive. Every department reeks of scams perpetrated by them. They have not spared even the bed and pillows in Social Welfare department hostels to make a cut," Bommai said.

"We will have to expose the documents of their shady deals before the people. We should take these scams to the people. Truth will come out of all the scams and the opposition leaders will have to face the truth. They should be ready to face it. Skeletons will tumble out of their cupboards," Bommai said.