Congress candidate launches poll campaign in Mysuru

M. Lakshman launches election campaign in Mysuru, highlighting Congress guarantees and development plans, addressing alleged social media campaign.

A day after the convention in Mysuru where leaders from the BJP and the JD(S) joined the Congress, M. Lakshman, Congress candidate for Mysuru Lok Sabha constituency formally launched his election campaign in Mysuru on Thursday after a puja atop the Chamundi hills along with the party leaders and his supporters.

Displaying a pamphlet for his campaign, he said the five guarantees implemented by the Congress government will work in his favour. “There is a Congress wave in the State as the government implemented all five guarantees in ten months. The party has fulfilled its promises,” he stated.

Lashing out at the BJP for its “divisive politics”, he said the Congress is straightforward and does what it preaches. The BJP is unable to spread lies about our guarantees as the benefits have reached the people and supporting their families. “We are seeking votes on development that has been done besides the guarantees.”

He said the Congress party has given ticket to a Vokkaliga in Mysuru after a gap of nearly 47 years. It was Tulsidas Dasappa who got the ticket the last time from the community. “Nevertheless, I am not confined to one community. The Congress party wants all castes and communities,” he replied.

Stating that the party has given him a chance, Mr. Lakshman said he has a vision for developing the constituency which he claimed did not see development in the last ten years. “Given a chance, I wish to make the constituency a model, focussing on tourism, IT companies, and employment-bringing software companies. There is a vast scope for tourism development which did not happen in the ten years,” he maintained.

Hitting out at the supporters of BJP over an alleged social media campaign against him, Mr. Lakshman said he is a Vokkaliga and displayed a caste certificate issued by the tahsildar. “The campaign has been launched questioning my caste. I was born in a Vokkaliga family in Nelamangala taluk near Bengaluru. I have been living in Mysuru for the last 35 years. The misinformation campaign is a conspiracy against,” said Mr. Lakshman, who played a “Vokkaliga card” in his first press conference after getting the party ticket.

Mr. Lakshman asked, “What is wrong if I seek votes from the Vokkaliga community?