Star of Mysore caught up with the BJP's star - campaigner and Mysore District In - charge Minister Shobha Karandlaje amidst her busy schedule who spoke about her party's prospects in the Lok Sabha elections in Mysore and Chamarajanagar constituencies. — Editor

Go to any village and just ask whether the government has done anything for their welfare. Every house has at least one person benefited by one or the other scheme. It could be old age pension or widow pension or loan waiver or bicycle to school children or Bhagyalakshmi or Bhagyajyothi or Rs. 1,000 to every farmer to buy seeds or it could be ration card or Rs. 2 more per litre of milk to dairy farmers. Congress ruled this State for over 45 years and the Janata Dal for about 12 years. Why did they not implement such people - friendly programmes? Wherever I go, people have started asking this question to the former rulers who are now in the Opposition...

No Government that ruled the State in the past took any concrete steps with a vision and responsibility about the power requirements of the State.
It is not “Operation Kamala”. It is purely political polarisation. Senior leaders from other parties are joining BJP. We are welcoming them to our party in the regions where our party is weak. They are seasoned politicians and experienced leaders. We are welcoming them to our party to utilise their knowledge, experience and expertise for the development of the State.

Let us play politics to our heart's content when it's time for politics. But, when it comes to the development of the State, let us stop politics. Politics is not everything in public life."

It is the ideology of Shobha Karandlaje, who is steering the election campaign of BJP in Mysore and Chamarajanagar constituencies.

"Now elections are going on. Let us play politics till Apr. 30 (the day of polling). It is necessary in politics to win. However, there would be no necessity to indulge in politics after elections. After Apr. 30, let's work for the development of our State." It is not only the resolve of Shobha, it's also an advice to the opposition parties.

Shobha, who has toured the length and breadth of the two constituencies claims that a strong BJP wave is sweeping over both the constituencies. She attributes this wave to the people - friendly programmes implemented by the Yeddyurappa Government in just 10 months of coming to power.
"Congress ruled this State for over 45 years and the Janata Dal for about 12 years. Why did they not implement such people - friendly programmes? Wherever I go, people have started asking this question to the former rulers who are now in the Opposition," Shobha says.

Highlighting the impact of her government's performance in rural areas, Shobha explains:
"Go to any village and just ask whether the government has done anything for their welfare. Hundreds of people will raise their hands. It is very simple. Every house has at least one person benefited by one or the other schemes of BJP. It could be old age pension or widow pension or loan waiver or bicycle to school children or Bhagyalakshmi or Bhagyajyothi or Rs. 1,000 to every farmer to buy seeds or it could be ration card or Rs. 2 more per litre of milk to the lady member of milk producers (the money is credited directly to the bank account of the farmer's mother or wife which is inaccessible to the male head of the family!). There may be people who have not got the benefit yet, but they are sure that they also would get benefits sooner or later."

According to her, this change has triggered the BJP wave.

Has the “Operation Kamala” affected the BJP's image?
"No," asserts Shobha, "It is not 'Operation Kamala' It is purely political polarisation. Senior leaders from other parties are joining BJP. We are welcoming them to our party in the regions where our party is weak. For example leaders like D. B. Chandre Gowda, H. C. Srikantaiah, G.T. Deve Gowda and M. Mahadevu. They are seasoned politicians and experienced leaders. We are welcoming them to our party to utilise their knowledge, experience and expertise for the development of the State. It is the sole aim of this political polarisation."

Are the people angry against the BJP Government over the power crisis?
Shobha denies this propaganda and adds: "No Government that ruled the State in the past took any concrete steps with a vision and responsibility about the power requirements of the State. They did not implement any new power project. We have not yet completed one year in office. But they are blaming us for the power crisis. Within ten months of coming to power, the BJP Government purchased 2,000 acres of land in Chattisgarh for the establishment of 2,000 Mega Watt thermal power plant and the necessary formalities in this regard have already been completed.

"We have also allotted 4,000 acres of land for the proposed 4,000 Mega Watt thermal power plant near Bijapur. Three TMCs of water has been sanctioned from Alamatti dam for the purpose.

These projects cannot be completed overnight. If the previous governments had taken such steps, the State would not have faced such a crisis now.

"Our State needs 8,500 Mega Watts of power and there is a shortfall of 3,000 MW. The Union Government has not given us our share to make up for this shortage, thus meting out step - motherly treatment towards the State. "Our State should get its quota of 1,500 WM every month from the Centre. But the Centre is supplying only 700 MW. All this bias is being explained to the voters to create awareness among them." Shobha gives more such instances: "The Centre's step - motherly attitude has not stopped at this. When the State Government sought the Centre's approval for feeding water to Tumkur District's water bodies, the Centre declined permission under the pretext of Cauvery Tribunal award. "But at the same time, the Centre has granted permission for Tamil Nadu to raise Rs. 1,500 crore loan from Japan for the controversial Hogenakal project. Will the Cauvery Tribunal not object to this?" asks Shobha, regretting that the UPA Government was at the mercy of DMK for support.

According to Shobha, 125 taluks in the State are drought affected. The State Government wrote a letter to the Centre seeking a grant of Rs. 450 crore. But till now there is no reply from the Centre. The programmes implemented by the NDA Government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee earlier and many projects taken up by the Yeddyurappa Government after coming to power will benefit us, says Shobha with confidence.

Shobha is confident of BJP winning Mysore and Chamarajanagar constituencies as many influential leaders of the region have joined the party. "The Congress cannot be overconfident about its victory in Chamarajanagar because all the 8 Assembly segments coming under it are represented by the Congress," she says. "It will not be so," observes Shobha, "After seeing the projects being sanctioned for the District by Yeddyurappa Government, the people have started repenting over the mistake committed by them in electing Congress candidates."

Let us wait till May 16; to what an extent her dream will come true when the results are announced on that day.

M. R. Shivanna
Courtesy: Star of Mysore