Karnataka elections: Shivakumar-Siddaramaiah show a united front

In the second part, Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah discussed job creation in tier-two cities in Karnataka so that people from those do not have to shift to Bengaluru. “Once we come to power, we will have to start Indira canteens again,” Siddaramaiah said, according to the video.

As the campaigning for the Karnataka assembly elections nears an end, the Congress on Monday released a video of a hearty chitchat between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, with the two contenders for the CM projecting a united front.

Congress on Monday released a video of a hearty chitchat between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, (PTI)

A video released Monday, the second in two days, shows the two leaders presenting a united front in the polls and exchanging notes on the Congress campaign.

In the second part, Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah discussed job creation in tier-two cities in Karnataka so that people from those do not have to shift to Bengaluru. “Once we come to power, we will have to start Indira canteens again,” Siddaramaiah said, according to the video.

“BJP leaders had lunch at Indira canteen. We have seen those photos,” Shivakumar added.

“I was taking a look at a recent survey. BJP won’t win more than 62 seats. JDS might get around 22 or 23. There could be three independent candidates,” Shivakumar said. “Every morning, the PM is here. I am getting calls regarding BJP’s threat every day. They are forcing them to release fabricated survey reports...these developers, contractors who work during the election are being threatened so much that even my business partner is not attending my calls,” DKS told Siddaramaiah.

“People have faith in us because they have seen us fulfil almost all our promises... we both signed the guarantee card,” Siddaramaih said.

“BL Santhosh made a statement that he does not need Lingayat votes. He is a very important man in the BJP,” Siddaramaiah said as Shivakumar burst into laughter, the video showed.

“See how they have ignored Bommai this time. They dumped Bommai in the dustbin now,” Shivakumar said.

“Think of their standard that they did not give a ticket to Shettar,” Siddaramaiah said.

Even though the video presented a joint front, while addressing a rally in his home constituency, Shivakumar made a pitch for the post of chief minister. “A son of Kanakapura has a chance to become the chief minister. He should get a chance,” he told the crowd.

The central leadership of the party made their presence felt on Monday. Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi held a roadshow in Bengaluru’s Vijayanagar on the last day of campaigning for the Karnataka Assembly elections scheduled for May 10.

Vadra said that the grand old party would be elected to power as the people of the state want an “end to corruption”.

“We are very confident and hopeful. I am not a predictor of numbers; I can only see the response that we have gotten from the public. The people of Karnataka want an end to corruption,” Priyanka Gandhi said while talking to the media.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday interacted with college students and working women in Bengaluru. The former party chief stopped for a cup of coffee at a ‘Cafe Coffee Day’ outlet on Cunningham Road.

At a close-by Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus stop, he spoke to college students and working women.

He then hopped on to a BMTC bus and interacted with women passengers to understand their vision for Karnataka, party leaders said.

“They candidly discussed topics including the rising price of essentials, the ‘Gruhalakshmi’ scheme ( ₹2,000 per month for woman head of household) and the Congress’ ‘guarantee’ of free travel for women in BMTC and KSRTC (Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation) buses,” they said.

Meanwhile, Congress party leader and lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi also said the 24-hour window provided by the election for responding to the notice was insufficient with the Karnataka assembly poll campaign drawing to a close.

The Congress has accused the Election Commission of bias over its notice of the party’s “corruption rate card” advertisements targeting the BJP government in Karnataka and said its leaders are held to a standard that seems reserved only for the Opposition.

The EC had on Saturday issued a notice to the Karnataka Congress over its “corruption rate card” advertisements published in newspapers in the run-up to the May 10 state polls and sought “empirical evidence” to prove its allegations by Sunday evening.

“...the actions of the Commission are prima facie violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, which provide a fundamental guarantee against arbitrariness in administrative action as well as against bias, official acts of mala fide, violations of natural justice and which provide the most vital guarantee of equality,” the Congress said.

(With PTI inputs)