Addressing the rally, Mr. Vijayendra said the campaign had enabled him and other BJP leaders to interact with people from different sections, particularly Dalits, farmers, poor families and students, and understand their grievances. He claimed that the interactions had exposed what he termed the “misrule” of the Congress government.
He said the campaign had raised issues such as the alleged financial irregularities in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation, the alleged diversion of funds meant for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and the failure to fulfil the government’s promise of filling 2.5 lakh government vacancies.
“Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who describes himself as ‘90% businessman and 10% politician’, should not be allowed to continue in his position,” he said.
Mr. Vijayendra demanded that the State government release ₹200 crore for road development in each of the 224 Assembly constituencies and issue a White Paper on the alleged diversion of funds earmarked for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. He also sought an immediate farm loan waiver in view of the drought and demanded ₹2,000 crore each for various development corporations to support drought-hit farmers.
He warned that while the BJP’s first phase of agitation against the Congress government had ended, its campaign would continue. He called upon party workers to take the campaign to the grassroots and mobilise people against the government.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi alleged that the ₹187 crore involved in the Valmiki Corporation case would not return to the State exchequer as long as the Congress remained in power and would be recovered only after the BJP returned to power in 2028.
Mr. Joshi also criticised the State government over the alleged diversion of municipal funds for government programmes, claiming that it had affected the ability of urban local bodies to provide basic amenities. He urged the State BJP leadership to take up the issue and launch another agitation.
Former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa said the padayatra should be viewed as the beginning of a larger campaign against the State government. He called upon BJP workers to reach every village and mobilise people against what he termed the “corrupt” Congress government.
Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the “countdown” for the Congress government had begun and alleged that its newly launched Praja Seva initiative was aimed at collecting money directly from the people.
He said the BJP government had increased reservation for Scheduled Castes from 15% to 17% and for Scheduled Tribes from 3% to 7%, which, he claimed, had resulted in 400 additional medical seats and 2,000 engineering seats for SC and ST students. He alleged that the Congress government had restored the earlier reservation levels, thereby causing injustice to the marginalised communities.
BJP Karnataka in-charge Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, former Chief Ministers Jagadish Shettar and Sadananda Gowda, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashok, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy and other leaders were present at the meeting.