No contest with BJP on corruption: Rahul
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said there was “no contest” between his party’s government in Karnataka and the previous BJP regime in the southern state as regards corruption, adding that the saffron party’s rule “wins hands down”.
Gandhi took to Twitter to draw a comparison between the Congress government in Karnataka and the previous BJP regime (2008-13) with the help of figures to show that his party’s rule was better on all counts.
“In Karnataka, when it comes to corruption, it’s a “No Contest” as this graphic shows. The BJP wins hands down! (sic),” Rahul tweeted, with two sets of graphics. Those claimed that the Congress was the “top job creator” in the country, the Anna Bhagya scheme of the party’s government in Karnataka was feeding four crore people, the Ramthal Marol, Asia’s largest drip irrigation project, and the world’s largest solar power park were built by the party and that it had also waived the loans of 22 lakh farmers, amounting to ₹8,165 crore.
On the other hand, the graphics showed that during BJP rule, chief minister BS Yeddyurappa was jailed in connection with the denotification scam, India’s “largest political poaching scandal” — Operation Kamala — was unearthed, it had pioneered “cashless corruption” by taking bribes in cheques, former state minister Krishnaiah Setty was jailed in a land grab case, while the Reddy brothers were jailed in a ₹35,000-crore mining scam. “Who works better? Congress government of 2013-18 or BJP government of 2008-13. Numbers speak for themselves. Choose right. Vote Congress,” the graphics said. Chamraja is an assembly segment in Mysuru district, one of the 224 seats in the state assembly. While all parties strive to win every seat, the Janata Dal (Secular), or JD (S), is making an extra effort in Chamraja, as it is a prestige battle for its leaders. No, none of the top members of the party are contesting the seat. Sitting legislator Vasu is from the Congress while the BJP has fielded L Nagendra, the same candidate as last time. The reason why the seat has received extra attention is simple. The JD(S) candidate is KS Rangappa, a controversial former vicechancellor of the University of Mysore.
Rangappa only joined JD(S) recently after retiring from his government job. But Rangappa’s daughter is married to JD (S) leader HD Deve Gowda’s grandson, making them close relatives. So the JD(S) wants to ensure that the in-laws of the first family don’t face any electoral setbacks. However, they are facing a tough challenge in the form of Harish Gowda, the former head of JD(S)’s Mysuru city unit who was eyeing the seat, has rebelled, and is contesting as an independent.
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