Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said in Karnataka that the BJP has transformed the “politics of perception” in the country into the “politics of performance,” adding that the southern State has made up its mind to bring back in office the BJP’s “double-engine government”.

Addressing the Vijaya Sankalp Yatre Maha Sangama at Devanagere in the poll-bound state, he said, “Our country had been mired in dirty politics for years. What prevailed in the country then was the politics of allegation and blame game. But since coming to power, the BJP has transformed the politics of perception in the country into the politics of performance.”

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Launching a counter-attack on the Opposition, the prime minister said “Karnataka saw and suffered opportunistic and selfish governments for a long time, which affected its progress. That is why a stable government of the BJP is the need of the hour, in the interest of the state’s development.”

“Karnataka has made up its mind to bring back the double-engine government in the state. The BJP has put development on fast-track. Therefore, the need of the hour is for the BJP to return to power in the interest of taking Karnataka to development and prosperity,” he added.

In a scathing attack on the Congress, he said, “BJP wants to make Karnataka the driving force for a developed India. However, the Congress sees Karnataka as merely a means to fill the pockets of some of its leaders.”

“Congress says ‘Modi Teri Qabr Khudegi’ but they don’t know that the people of Karnataka have a dream, which is ‘Modi Tera Kamal Khilega,” the PM added. “Our (Karnataka) government has been empowering the Dalits, poor, women and the oppressed sections. Ours has been a pro-poor government,” he said.

“Karnataka had seen years of governance by selfish and opportunistic alliances. Such governments inflicted grave harm to the state,” he added.

Before the rally, PM Modi held a mega road show during which a huge crowd lined the streets chanting his name and showering him with petals.

Earlier, the prime minister inaugurated the Sri Madhusudan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research at Sathya Sai Grama, Chikkaballapur in Karnataka. Set up by the Sri Sathya Sai University for Human Excellence, the institute will provide medical education and quality medical care completely free of cost to all.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister called Sathya Sai Grama a wonderful model of service and lauded the mission being undertaken by the institution through education and health initiatives. He said the medical college, inaugurated for 2023 academic session, strengthened this mission.

Modi noted that Chikkaballapur is the birthplace of one of the architects of modern India, Sir M M Visvesvaraya and expressed gratitude for getting the opportunity to pay tribute to his samadhi and visit his museum.

The prime minister said India has resolved to be a developed nation during the Amrit Kaal, but there is curiosity among people about accomplishing the mammoth goal in such a short time. “There is just one answer, a strong, resolute and resourceful answer i.e Sabka Prayas. This is going to be surely realized by the effort of every countrymen,” he said.

Modi said there were less than 380 medical colleges in the country before 2014, but the number has gone up to more than 650 today. Forty medical colleges have been developed in aspirational districts of the country that were once lagging behind in terms of development.

In the last nine years, the Prime Minister mentioned that the number of medical seats in the country has doubled. The number of doctors produced by the country in the next 10 years will be the same as the number of doctors produced in India since Independence, he said.

Underlining that Karnataka is also reaping the benefits of the development carried out in the country, the Prime Minister said the State is home to roughly 70 medical colleges in the country and the medical college inaugurated in Chikkaballapur is an example of the efforts of the “double-engine” government in the State.

“Our government works for the welfare of the poor. It has given an option of medical education in all Indian languages including Kannada,” the Prime Minister said.

The prime minister lamented the practice in politics that was going on in the country for a long time where the poor were considered only as vote banks. “Our government has considered serving the poor as its highest duty. We have given priority to the health of the poor and middle class,” he said.