No Modi wave, only enthusiasm for Congress guarantees: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru, Apr 8 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Monday there is no "Modi wave" in the coming Lok Sabha elections, and there is enthusiasm among the people in favour of the Congress and its five guarantees in the State. Siddaramaiah urged the voters of Bangalore South parliamentary segment to defeat BJP candidate and MP Tejasvi Surya to resolve the city's drinking water issues and to implement the Mekedatu project.

Mekedatu is a multi-purpose (drinking water and power) project proposed by Karnataka, which involves building a balancing reservoir near Kanakapura in Ramanagara district.

The Chief Minister claimed that there is enthusiasm among people in favour of Congress and its five guarantee schemes, and there is no wave in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Many of their (BJP) candidates cannot show their face, they are dependent on Modi, they feel that they will get votes in Modi's name, but this time there is no Narendra Modi factor. Modi as PM for ten years has failed in all sectors," he said, adding, Congress alone can work for all sections of society.

Appealing to people to vote for Congress' Sowmya Reddy, a former MLA, in Bangalore South, the Chief Minister said Surya and other BJP MPs have no moral right to seek votes as, he alleged, they never raised issues of the Centre's "injustices" to the state, or tried to address them.

"Bengaluru is facing drinking water scarcity and only 60 percent of the city's water requirements come from the Cauvery, while the remaining 40 per cent is from borewell. To provide water to 110 villages around the city and to provide a permanent solution we are implementing the Cauvery fifth stage project. If it is implemented the situation will improve," Siddaramaiah said.

Addressing a gathering during his roadshow in Jayanagar assembly segment here, he further said, if the Mekedatu project is implemented along with it, then there won't be drinking water issues in Bengaluru city.

"Has Tejasvi Surya asked even once (the Centre) to give approval for the Mekedatu project? Do you want water for Bengaluru or not? Do you want Mekedatu to be implemented or not? If you want it to be implemented, you should ensure that Tejasvi Surya is defeated and Sowmya Reddy wins," he added.

Neighbouring Tamil Nadu has been opposing the Mekedatu project, raising apprehensions that the state would be affected if it's implemented.

Stating that Sowmya Reddy has proactively responded to public needs, Siddaramaiah said, "In the last year's assembly polls, you (voters) had made her win, but there was some cheating during counting, because of which she had to face defeat. She has gone to court against it and I'm confident that she will get justice there." Daughter of senior Minister Ramalinga Reddy, Sowmya had lost the Jayanagar assembly seat last year by 16 votes.

He asked people to question BJP's Tejasvi Surya, who is seeking votes for the second time from the segment, about injustice to Karnataka -- in tax devolution, non-implementation of 15th Finance Commission's recommendation from the Centre, delay in providing drought relief to the state, and the Centre not clearing the Mekedatu project. "He (Surya) was an MP for five years, you have to ask him, whether he raised these issues even once? Without doing this, what morality does he have to seek votes? He has no morality. Despite injustice to Karnataka, Surya danced to the tunes of the central government. So I appeal to voters of Jayanagar to bless Sowmya," he said, as he expressed confidence that she will fight for the state's cause in the Parliament. PTI