The BJP on Sunday organised a meeting of people hailing from the Malnad region who are residents of Bangalore, to gain their support.
“If you have your vote in Shimoga, please go there on polling day to vote for us. If you are enrolled in the voters’ list in Bangalore, then support our candidates here,” the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, who is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Shimoga, said. Mr. Yeddyurappa also appealed to them to request their friends to support the BJP, in Shimoga as well as the three constituencies in Bangalore. He promised that, if voted to power, he would hold another meeting with them to elicit their suggestions on development works to be taken up by the Centre.
BJP candidates from Bangalore North D.V. Sadananda Gowda and Bangalore South Ananth Kumar as well as prominent leaders from the Malnad region such as K. S. Eshwarappa, former Deputy Chief Minister; Ayanur Manjunath and D.B. Chandre Gowda, MPs; and Araga Jnanendra, H. Halappa and Laxminarayana, former MLAs, were also present at the programme. Earlier at a press conference, Mr. Yeddyurappa assured arecanut growers from Malnad region that their problems would be resolved if he was voted to power.
He said that he had held discussions pertaining to the affidavit filed before the Supreme Court against the use of arecanut with BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.
Mr. Yeddyurappa also promised to look into the demand to amend Central rules to regularise unauthorised cultivation on bagair hukum land in forest areas.
