Water a priority for Karnataka voters: reveals a survey
Bengaluru: Improving the quality and supply of water in the state is one of the most important issues for voters in poll-bound Karnataka, a survey released on Saturday said.
The Karnataka Voter Survey 2018 that was released by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Om Prakash Rawat here stressed this point.
Several districts of Karnataka have been facing water crisis, with the state's north-western drought-prone districts of Bagalkot, Belagavi, Dharwad and Gadag lacking water even for drinking needs.
Better electricity supply, improved roads and environment protection were among the other most important issues for voters in the urban areas.
Voters in rural parts, meanwhile, stressed more on better schools, roads and an increase in the number of public health centres.
The most important factor for the electors to cast their vote was found to be the candidate, followed by the party and then the party's Chief Ministerial candidate.
About 42 per cent of the voters surveyed said they would vote for a particular political party based on their Chief Ministerial candidate, with 67 per cent of the total number of people surveyed agreeing that the candidate's party was a reason to cast vote for him/her.
According to the report, nearly 36 per cent of the voters considered the candidate's religion and caste important.
The survey's urban participants believed that the current government performed poorly on the issues of improving public facilities, eradicating corruption and job training.
Only 31 per cent of the people surveyed were happy with the state government's much-touted Indira Canteens, which provide food for the poor at subsidised rates.
About 79 per cent of the people had reported that they were happy with the state government's subsidised food scheme, "Anna Bhagya".
The Congress-led state government was given a score of 7.09 on 10 for its overall performance in the five years since 2013, as per the survey.
"The voters' perceptions highlight the need for awareness on the criminal, financial and other background of the candidates as well as transparency and accountability of political parties. Only then can a voter make an informed choice," asserted the survey.
Issues related to terrorism were among the least of the priorities for urban participants, the survey noted.
The survey was conducted by the New Delhi-based Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), an organisation working for electoral reforms, and Daksh, a Bengaluru-based civil society body.
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Cong govt ended ‘darkness’ in 11 months of rule in T’gana: CM Revanth Reddy rebuts PM Modi's remark
Hyderabad (PTI): During the last 11 months, the Congress government in Telangana has reversed an air of gloom and despair under the previous BRS regime and ended the "darkness", Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said on Saturday.
He was responding to a post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that under Congress rule developmental trajectory and fiscal health is turning from bad to worse in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana.
“I am happy to clarify several misconceptions and factual errors in your statements about my state and our government," Reddy said in his post.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday in a series of posts said the Congress stands "badly exposed" in front of people for promising to them what the party knows it will never be able to deliver.
“Every promise made by us to people is a sacred commitment for us. In the last 11 months, we have reversed an air of gloom & despair under BRS, and ended the darkness. Like a morning sun, Telangana is now Rising,” Reddy said in the post addressed to Modi.
Within two days of taking charge, the Telangana government fulfilled its first and second promise - free bus travel for women across all government buses, and a healthcare and hospitalisation cover of 10 lakhs under Rajiv Aarogyasree, the CM pointed out.
Even before completion of first year of rule, the Congress government has implemented India's largest ever, state-level farmer loan waiver of Rs 18,000 crore covering over 22 lakh farmers, he said responding to PM’s comments that in Telangana, farmers are awaiting the (loan) waiver they were promised.
Women get free electricity, with no domestic power charge for their homes up to 200 units, Reddy noted.
The CM also claimed that his government has held the largest recruitment drive and is regularly holding exams of all levels and provided jobs to over 50,000 eligible youth, a record “unmatched by any BJP state government.”
The CM said the government is rejuvenating River Musi, which was allegedly neglected by the previous government and protecting lakes and other precious water bodies, encroached upon and destroyed wantonly with abandon in the last 10 years.
