BJP’s ‘B team’ has become its partner in Karnataka, says Rahul in a swipe at JD(S)
Taking a swipe at the JD(S) in the party’s heartland, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the BJP’s “B team” has now become its “partner” in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.
Addressing his rst election rally in the State at Mandya on Wednesday, Mr. Gandhi recalled his statement during earlier elections in Karnataka that the JD(S) was the BJP’s “B team”. The regional party, which has now entered into an alliance with the BJP, has been helping the saffron party at every stage, said Mr. Gandhi, who participated in the party campaign ¨anked by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.
Mandya is a keenly watched constituency as JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, candidate of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), is pitted against Venkataramane Gowda (‘Star Chandru’) of the Congress. Mr. Gandhi’s next stopever in Karnataka on Wednesday, Kolar, also has Congress locked in a straight ght with the JD (S). Mr. Gandhi said the Lok Sabha election is a ght between two ideologies. While the ideology of INDIA bloc, led by the Congress, stood for safeguarding the Constitution and democracy, the forces representing RSS-BJP were out to undermine the Constitution, he said.
It was a matter of pride that the Congress government in Karnataka had implemented all the five pre-Assembly poll guarantees, Mr. Gandhi said, and reiterated the promises made by the party for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in its manifesto.
He said the Congress, when it comes to power at the Centre, will bring in a law to ensure legally guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP), waive o© all farm loans at the national level, and settle the full claim on crop insurance within 30 days.
The Congress has also promised ₹1 lakh to women of all poor families in India annually, which translates to ₹8,500 per month.