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Karnataka bypolls: BJP, Congress spar over welfare schemes
Karnataka bypolls: Bommai also alleged that Siddaramaiah had misled people by stating that 1.7 million homes were being built for economically weaker sections.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday lashed out at the Congress over its popular ‘Anna Bhagya’ (free rice) scheme launched during Siddaramaiah’s tenure between 2013-18. “He (Siddaramaiah) says it in a way that Anna Bhagya came only after him. Wasn’t rice being distributed in ration shops before that,” chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said in Hanagal constituency.
The constituency is part of Bommai’s home district of Haveri and the CM is leaving no stones unturned to secure his first electoral victory since he took over the top chair in July this year.
He was joined by his predecessor and mentor, BS Yediyurappa during his campaign trail on Friday.
Bommai also alleged that Siddaramaiah had misled people by stating that 1.7 million homes were being built for economically weaker sections (EWS).
“Siddaramaiah has given a statement that he gave away 1.7 million houses when he was the chief minister. The fact is that he had only sanctioned 1.5 million houses on paper whereas he should have allocated funds too,” Bommai told reporters in Hanagal.
The campaign for the October 30 bypolls has picked up pace with all three.political parties roping in their senior leadership to mobilize support.
Hitting back at Bommai and Yediyurappa, Siddaramaiah challenged both the leaders to come for a debate in public on contributions made by their respective governments.
Comparing the schemes announced by BJP and Congress governments, the senior Congress leader said, “We were giving 7kg rice to 12 million families. It was going to nearly 40 million people. Yediyurappa said that the Centre is giving this rice. If this is the case why is it not being given in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and other places.”
He said that he had met Yediyurappa during the peak of the Covid- 19 pandemic and urged him to distribute 10kgs of rice and give ₹10,000 per person to alleviate the suffering of the people but to no avail.
Leaders of all the three political parties are also rushing to meet influential and prominent seers of various communities in the hope to get some support and increase their chances of winning.
The Panchamasali, the biggest sub-sect within the dominant Lingayats, on Wednesday had made a veiled threat to the government to get the report from the backward classes commission over the community’s reservation demands.
Mathas (Mutt) or monasteries play a big role in elections with seers often appearing apolitical but are believed to use support as a bargaining chip.
Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy also challenged Siddaramaiah on the latters contribution to the constituency.
Though the Congress has tried to paint the JD(S) as the “B-team” of the BJP, the former prime minister HD Deve Gowda-led regional outfit are trying to shrug this reputation by attacking both national parties in its bypoll campaign.
“How many years will you peddle the same lies? For the last 20 years, the people of Sindgi constituency have supported our (JD(S)) party. What is their contribution? What is our contribution? Let Siddaramaiah come for an open discussion,” Kumaraswamy said in Sindgi, the other constituency headed to the bypolls.
Kumaraswamy will take part in a campaign activities in Hanagal constituency on Saturday.
The JD(S) has fielded Muslim candidates in both constituencies which the Congress has alleged is to split the minority vote and indirectly help the BJP--an allegation vehemently denied by the regional outfit.
