The former Congress president Rahul Gandhi started his Kolar speech focusing on the four big Congress promises in the elections and raised the 40 percent corruption charge against the Basavaraj Bommai-led government – these local issues are working for the Congress and received much applause from the crowd.
But he then moved on to his allegations against businessman Gautam Adani and raised questions about his relations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi – an issue that feeds into the national debate, a direction that the BJP also wants to take for the Karnataka elections.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, meanwhile, said the chief ministerial face will be decided after the elections and the party cadre should not be bothered about it. Gandhi said he was happy that the state leadership was fighting in unison. Former CM Siddaramaiah and state president DK Shivkumar were both on stage while there was some sloganeering in Siddaramaiah’s favour after he was denied Kolar as a second seat to contest the elections.
Gandhi got the loudest applause when he spoke of the four promises the Congress has made for the people and said they will be fulfilled in the first cabinet meeting if the party comes to power.
“In a few days, the Congress will form the government in Karnataka. We have made four promises: 200 units of free power, Rs 2,000 per month to women, 10 kg rice to each family member every month and Rs 3,000 to every graduate as well as Rs 1,500 every month to diploma holders,” he said, holding up four fingers to say the BJP only did 40 percent commission in the state.
But he quickly slipped into the Adani issue and spoke at length about how the central government was helping the businessman corner all infrastructure projects.
“You (PM Narendra Modi) helped Adani with all your heart, we will help the poor, youth and women with all our heart,” he said. He went on to talk about how he was not allowed to speak on the Adani issue in parliament after his initial speech.
“What I ask the PM is – what is your relation with Adani and who has invested in Adani’s shell companies?” he said, but these parts of the speech did not seem to resonate with the crowd.
With inputs from News18
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