Date:16/05/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/05/16/stories/2005051605180300.htm

Karnataka - Belgaum

BJP meet turns out to be a platform for Congress, JD(S) bashing

Staff Correspondent

Persuade followers of Hegde, Patil to join party: Ananth Kumar

BELGAUM: A meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers here on Sunday failed to discuss any organisational matter or the problems confronting them with the leaders devoting their time to ridicule the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular). Kalamandir, the venue, was virtually empty when the meeting began. Only after one-and-a-half-hour, party workers and residents from nearby villages came to the venue.

In his opening remarks, the BJP General Secretary, H.N. Ananth Kumar, described the bickering between the coalition partners - Congress and Janata Dal (S) - as "tent house drama" where the former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (S) President, H.D. Deve Gowda, pretends to hit while the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, pretends to weep.

Stating that the BJP launched a "dharma yuddha' (righteous war) against the "aDharam Singh" Government on Friday in Bangalore, he urged the workers to capture taluk and zilla panchayats for which elections are due. He urged them to persuade the followers of the late Veerendra Patil and Ramakrishna Hegde to join the BJP.

Mr. Kumar expressed confidence that the party candidates, Pramila Nesargi and Bhanu Prakash, will emerge victorious in the byelections to the Assembly from Chamarajpet constituency in Bangalore and to the Lok Sabha from Shimoga constituency.

The State BJP President, Jagdish Shettar, claimed that the BJP is the number one party in the State. He described the Congress-Janata Dal (S) combine as "unethical alliance" as voters have rejected them. Mr. Shettar alleged that the Government has not provided any relief to farmers and weavers. The Government is finding it difficult to prevent Andhra Pradesh from going ahead with 21 irrigation schemes in the Krishna Basin without Centre's approval, he said.

Suresh Angadi, MP; the district unit President, Erappa Kadadi; and the legislators Jagdish Metgud, Mahadevappa Yadwad, Shashikant Nayak, Suresh Marihal and Abhay Kumar Patil were present.