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Beware of Rahul Gandhi's promises, Madhya Pradesh CM cautions Karnataka voters

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivaraj Chouhan was in the Gokak assembly segment in Karnataka to campaign for BJP candidate Ramesh Jarkiholi.

Published on: Apr 27, 2023, 11:08:06 IST
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While BJP candidate Ramesh Jarkiholi was busy campaigning in neighbouring constituencies, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivaraj Chouhan was in Gokak assembly segment to campaign for him and urged the voters not to fall for "false promises" made by the Congress. In place of Ramesh, his brother Balachandra Jarkiholi -- a BJP candidate from Arabhavi assembly seat - was present during the campaign along with senior local saffron party leaders on Wednesday.

Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan. (File photo)
Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan. (File photo)

Ramesh, a six time MLA, is an influential political leader not only in his home turf but also the entire Belagavi district. He was among the 17 MLAs who defected from Congress to the BJP in 2019 toppling the Congress-JDS coalition government. He is said to have orchestrated the defection of MLAs, which helped the BJP come to power.

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Addressing the gathering, Chouhan said the development works are undertaken ony by the BJP government and not the Congress which has only given "corruption, crime and commission" besides its anti-Lingayat approach in Karnataka. He said the Opposition party makes false promises and urged voters not to fall for them. "Beware of (Congress leader) Rahul Gandhi's promises. He had come to Madhya Pradesh promising a debt waiver but nothing was done."

The Congress can do anything for votes, and even might promise getting stars from the sky, he said, and alleged that the Congress wants to win elections "to make money". The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister said both Congress and JD(S) are two faces of the same coin with dynasty politics. "Voting JD(S) will strengthen Congress," he said.

READ | Karnataka Assembly Polls 2023: Yediyurappa slams Siddaramaiah over promise to hike reservation limit

Listing out the achievements of the BJP government both at the Centre and state, he said more development initiatives will be undertaken if the double engine government is elected in the state. "BJP is the only party which can undertake the development works. Support BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modiji who will further strengthen Karnataka."

Chouhan also thanked Ramesh for defecting from Congress and saving the state from Congress rule. Gokak is one of the 18 constituencies in Belagavi district,which has the second highest number of assembly seats after Bengaluru urban. The Congress has fielded Mahantesh Kadadi from this constituency. There are 2,38,221 voters in the Gokak Assembly constituency, out of which 1,16,816 are male, and 1,20,085 female voters. Lingayats comprise 75,000, SC-ST 45,000, Muslim 35000, Kuruba 25000, and Uppar Samaj 14,000.

  • Yamini C S
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Yamini C S

    Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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