Congress candidate for Mysuru Lok Sabha constituency M. Lakshman on Sunday said in Virajpet that the Congress accredits its workers and stated that he is an example since he got the party ticket to fight the ensuing parliamentary elections though being a party worker like all of you.
Addressing party workers at Virajpet in Kodagu, he said the party acknowledged his service and fielded him in the elections though neither he had any political background nor money power. “I am a party worker like you. Yet the party recognised me and fielded me in the elections. This shows the party workers should not lose confidence as the day will always come when their service will be recognised. Always work for the party honestly,” he said.
Urging the party workers and leaders to help him win the elections, Mr. Lakshman said the party has rewarded him by giving him a ticket and it’s time for you to work for him for his victory so that he could work tirelessly for the people of Mysuru and Kodagu. “I want to take all sections of the society along if he wins the elections and focus on developing Mysuru and Kodagu.”
Maintaining that the UPA 1 and UPA 2 governments brought development to Kodagu besides the Siddaramaiah government then and now, he said there have been many projects that Kodagu received when the Congress was in power while listing out some of the works that the district got under the UPA governments and the Siddaramaiah government.
“What is the contribution of the BJP to Kodagu in the last ten years? It’s zero development. The BJP spreads communal hatred,” he charged, while assuring to take all communities along if he was elected.
Giving details of his vision for Kodagu, Mr. Lakshman said he will work to include Kodava language in the 8th Schedule besides working on forming a tourism development authority for Kodagu considering its tourism potential. “I will also strive in connection with the coffee prices. Price stability is one area which I will work in the interest of coffee growers,” he promised.
Mr. Lakshman said he travelled in about 30 Gram Panchayats along with A.S. Ponnanna, MLA. “There has been development in the segment though Mr. Ponnanna is a first-time MLA and has already brought several crores of rupees to the constituency for works,” he claimed .
Ministers in charge of Mysuru district H.C. Mahadevappa. in his address, recalled the works he initiated when he was the in-charge Minister for Kodagu and sought support for the party in the coming elections.
Minister in charge of Chamarajanagar district K. Venkatesh, A.S. Ponnanna, MLA, also spoke. Former MLA Yathindra Siddaramaiah was present.
