Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar on Wednesday lashed out at the Basavaraj Bommai government saying that the earlier it is dismissed, the better it is for the state. Shivakumar expressed confidence in the Congress’s preparedness for the Assembly elections ahead of the announcement of the schedule for the polls today by the Election Commission at 11.30 am.
“Congress is ready for elections, we want this govt to be dismissed. The earlier this govt is dismissed, the better it is for the state and country. This election will be development-oriented and for a corruption-free state and country,” Shivakumar told reporters here. Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the state Congress chief alleged that he is “compromising corrupt activities” in Karnataka.
“This election will be a model because corruption is at its peak. Modi encouraged corruption and did not open his mouth. He did not take any action on his party leaders. Only for the sake of party he is compromising a lot of corrupt activities. The BJP never gave employment to the youth. Our clean administration will bring our party to power,” he said. Karnataka will go to Assembly polls this year, the dates of which will be announced at 11.30 am today.
Karnataka, which has 224 seats in the Assembly currently has 119 MLAs of the ruling BJP, while Congress has 75 and its ally JD(S) has 28 seats. With months to go for the Assembly elections, the political parties including the ruling BJP, Congress and ally JD(S) began the spate of allegations and counter-allegations, with the latter attempting to corner the government over the issue of corruption.
The BJP government, being led by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is also putting in efforts to return to power and stressing on the Kannadigas issue, reservation to the Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities by scrapping a religion-based reservation for the Muslim community, a decision which the state government took recently. The government, last year, had proposed that the companies that do not give first preference to Kannadigas will not be eligible for incentives. The government’s move came in the later part of last year in a bid to promote Kannada. It was included in the Kannada Language Comprehensive Development Bill.
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Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has made several visits to Karnataka, a state which he has described on numerous occasions as the BJP’s “gateway to the South”. Shah on Monday chaired a meeting with the state BJP core committee and election management committee in Bengaluru on Monday.
Earlier on Sunday, Amit Shah lauded Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and his immediate predecessor and BJP veteran BS Yediyurappa stating that both have provided “good governance” during their respective tenures. Citing the developmental work done by the BJP government under both chief ministers, Shah urged the people to form the party’s government with a full majority in the upcoming Assembly elections slated this year.
In February this year, Amit Shah urged the people to give a chance to former chief minister BS Yediyurappa for forming a corruption-free government. He said that Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) are dynastic parties and such parties can never work for the welfare of the people.
“Give a chance to Yediyurappa and we will give you a corruption-free government. Congress and JDS are dynastic parties and such parties can never work for the welfare of the people. Every vote polled for JDS will benefit the Congress party, and every vote polled for Congress will benefit Siddaramaiah and his ATM government in Delhi,” he said.
