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People's mandate not for ‘enjoyment’: What Siddaramaiah said as Congress won
The former Karnataka chief minister said his party will give its stamp of approval for the five pre-poll guarantee in the first cabinet meeting.
After Congress' emphatic victory in Karnataka assembly elections, veteran leader Siddaramaiah said it is a ‘stepping stone to the Lok Sabha election’ and hoped for Rahul Gandhi to become the next Prime Minister. In a press conference, the former Karnataka chief minister said his party will give its stamp of approval for the five pre-poll guarantee in the first cabinet meeting, adding that mandate given by the people is to give them pro-people administration and not for ‘enjoyment’.
Also read: 'Going to meet my spiritual guru': Cong's Karnataka CM aspirant DK Shivakumar
"The five guarantees we have given will be approved in the first cabinet meeting and we will then pass an order," he said at the presser. The five pre-poll promises ‘guaranteed’ by Congress are 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), ₹2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), 10 kg of rice free to every member of a BPL household (Anna Bhagya), ₹3,000 every month for graduate youth and ₹1,500 for diploma holders (both in the age group of 18-25) for two years (YuvaNidhi), and free travel for women in public transport buses (Shakti).
“Result of this election is a stepping stone to the Lok Sabha election. I hope all non-BJP parties come together and see that BJP is defeated and I also hope Rahul Gandhi may become PM of the country,” he had said earlier in the day on Saturday as the vote count was undergoing.
Siddaramaiah also launched a scathing attack at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly mocking the Congress' pre-poll guarantees. “Modi said these promises will not be fulfilled as it will burden the state with debts. Modi himself burdened the country with debts. It is the BJP which has pushed the state towards bankruptcy,” he added.
Also read: Karnataka election: DK Shivakumar v Siddaramaiah poster war in CM race after Cong's big win
With an absolute majority, Congress wrested power from BJP in the assembly election. The focus has now shifted to whether Siddaramaiah or state Congress chief DK Shivakumar would be a better choice for new CM.
(With agency inputs)
