“I Will Trigger Developmental Revolution & Translate Modi’s Dream Of Making Karnataka A Fully Developed State into reality”

“I am conscious of the fact there is a heavy responsibility on my shoulders. I need to fulfil the aspirations of the people who reposed faith in BJP and gave us 105 seats. And then, I need to rise to the expectations of my beloved leader Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi ji and national BJP President Sri Amit Shah ji by providing an efficient administration that is pro-people. The biggest challenge is that the administrative machinery is in doldrums and finances are not good. But I am confident that I will be able to turn around the situation and make it look better in a short time,” said B.S. Yeddyurappa, the Chief Minister of Karnataka in an exclusive interview to our Bangalore-based Special Correspondent, S.A. Hemanth Kumar.

 

 

How do you feel after winning the trust vote today?

A sense of responsibility has overtaken me. I pray god to grant me strength to rise to the expectations of the people. I need your prayers. I also need to rise to the expectations of my leader Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji and national party president Amit Shah ji. That sense of responsibility assumes a sharp edge especially when there the PM is dynamic, vibrant, and a tough task-master. I am confident that I will be able to come up to the expectations of my party leadership as well as the people. I need the cooperation and guidance of the media also.

 

How do you intend to move ahead with the governance?

During my earlier stint at Chief Minister, I had initiated many revolutionary and historic schemes that indeed improved the quality of life of common tremendously. For instance, Bhagyalakshmi scheme, bicycle for poor students, Sandhya Suraksha, Rs 2 per litre of milk as incentive that had improved the daily economic situation of rural women – these are just illustrious. Apart from continuing these schemes with new dynamism and new fillip, I will also think of a few more innovative schemes that would improve the quality of life of common man.

 

What are your challenges?

In-spite of having finest officers at all rungs of administrative machinery, the governance had collapsed due to absence of strong-willed political leadership. The bureaucracy will function if the political leadership is effective and efficient. Both during the Congress regime between 2013 and 2018 as well as during the last 14 months of the coalition government, the political leadership did not demonstrate the much-needed will to govern and hence the governance had gone for a toss. My first challenge is to tone the administrative machinery at all rungs and make it dynamic, vibrant and pro-people.

The second challenge is to set-right the finances. In my capacity as the Opposition leader, I had said that the financial situation of the state is not healthy at all. I have been proved right during my interaction with the officers in the last two days. I will consult financial experts as well as my party’s central leadership how to augment finances to carry on the developmental activities.

I am lucky that I have above me fantastic leadership in Modi ji, in Amit Shah ji and Smt Nirmala Seetharaman ji. I will consult them and ensure that the financial situation of Karnataka is brought back on the rails.

 

What sort of assistance you are expecting from the Centre?

It is country’s fortunate that we have a Prime Minister who does not differentiate between the states on the basis of which party is ruling. He strictly goes by our party principle “Justice to all; appeasement of none; Equality of all and discrimination of none” Modi ji is the harbinger of developmental revolution in Bharat. If we go with a concrete plan and time-bound programme seeking funds, he will definitely make provision, over and above what is due for the state as per the new financial order following GST.

But I have specific plans to get funds for precise projects so that the performance and achievements are “visible, audible and palpable” These are mostly for infrastructural development projects throughout the state.

My one more dream is to lay all-weather roads connecting villages to hoblis and from hoblis to taluks and from taluks to district headquarters.

It is shame on our part that I have heard and read in the media people dying on account of badly laid foot-paths; pot-holed roads. I intend to set this right at any cost. Our people deserve good roads; our youths deserve good playgrounds; our senior citizens deserve good parks.

I want the quality of infrastructural facilities in Bangalore in accordance with its global reputation. Now it is pathetic; disgusting. I am determined to change the face of Bangalore qualitatively as early possible. I will discuss with the MLAs, MLCs,MPs and corporators of Bangalore towards this end.

 

Some of the schemes of the Narendra Modi government…. (cuts the question)..

Modi ji schemes are revolutionary and have potential to transform the face of India. For instance, the MUDRA scheme; skill training; beti bachao – beti padhao – these are revolutionary.

My desire is to make agriculture a profit-making enterprise for the farmers. I want cottage industries to come up in millions in villages that will stop the migration of youths from rural areas to urban centres. For this to happen, we need to improve the infrastructure in rural areas – roads, drinking water, schools, colleges, local employment; market linkages; hospitals; veterinary centre; cold storages; all weather roads.

These will change the face of rural Karnataka. Migration will stop. What is a slum? It is the extension of rural poverty. If we provide education and employment to our boys and girls in their villages along with good infrastructure, they won’t come to urban cities. I intend to make the best use of Modi ji’s schemes to transform villages in Karnataka.

 

Now let us go to political questions….

Go ahead. I am ready to face all your questions. I will try to answer.

 

The Congress and JDS have said that BJP coming to power is unethical. Your comments?

Was it ethical on the part of the two parties to come to power even after having been defeated by the people in the 2018 assembly election? The Congress ruled the state from 2013 to 2018. In the polls, people defeated the Congress. JDS was defeated twice over. The mandate was clearly against the Congress and in favour of BJP.

The coming together of Congress and JDS was nothing but subversion of people’s mandate. The Congress and JDS coalition was unethical and immoral. They did not had electoral legitimacy.

And moreover, the logic offered by the Congress and JDS to justify their unholy alliance is that they want to keep the “communal” BJP out in order to stop Modi from becoming Prime Minister in 2019. Did it happen? No. BJP swept the polls. Both Congress and JDS were reduced to one-seat party. So, the purpose and logic of coming together – to contain BJP’s influence – is defeated. Morally speaking the coalition partners ought to have quit and gone. But Of Course, if they had morality, they would not have been so shameless to form the government even after they were defeated in 2018.

It was a nightmare for the people of Karnataka. They were eagerly waiting for this government to go. Now that it has happened, the people are relieved.

BJP has meaningfully responded to meet the people’s aspirations and mandate of 2018. We have now a electorally legitimate government.

 

And the charge that the BJP indulged in horse-trading….

The Congress MLAs and few JDS MLAs were unhappy with the entire arrangement. They rebelled against their respective leadership. BJP has no role to play in this episode. The allegations are baseless, malicious and far from truth. Please go through the statements made by the Congress and JDS rebels. It is a reflection of what was happening in the coalition arrangement.

In our capacity as a matured, responsible party, BJP has taken concrete and meaningful steps to fill the vacuum through constitutional means. It was H.D. Kumaraswamy who sought to move the confidence motion and BJP did not bring in no-confidence motion. HDK could not prove majority and left. BJP stepped in only after the exit of the government.

 

How do you propose to face the challenge within the party when the cadre oppose the entry of the rebel MLAs?

It is a hypothetical question. BJP has the wherewithal and tensile strength to face challenges of any dimension, from any quarters at any point in time. Our leadership, both in the state as well at the Centre, will take appropriate steps at appropriate time to ensure smooth transition, if it takes place. We will cross the bridge when it comes.

 

What is your immediate priority?

To bring administration back on rails; improve finances; trigger developmental revolution; usher in concrete and meanin ful social security schemes and to monitor its effective implementation. Organisational matters will be looked after by the party’s Organisational leadership. I will concentrate on governance. I am fortunate that I have a very fine army of cadre who understands the difficulties and challenges I face and a very matured leadership which will supplement my efforts in providing good administration.