Bommai junks pre-polls surveys giving Congress an edge
Says BJP will come to power with "comfortable majority"
Shiggoan(PTI): Junking pre-poll surveys giving opposition Congress an edge in the May 10 Assembly elections in the state , Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday exuded confidence his party BJP will retain power with a "comfortable majority" and without the JD(S)' support.
In an interview to PTI, Bommai said whether he will continue as CM in the event of the saffron party coming to power will be decided by the BJP high command and its Parliamentary Board.
He also said former chief minister Jagadish Shettar, who defected to Congress over denial of a BJP ticket to yet again contest from Hubli-Dharwad Central, will lose this time. Whereas, the 14 defectors who helped the BJP topple the Congress-JD(S) government in 2019 will win from their respective segments.
Bommai also alleged the Congress has taken the election discourse to a "very low level".
"There was no edge to Congress at all. We know how surveys are made. I am expecting a comfortable majority," Bommai said, and added the party may not require the support of the JD(S).
"No chance at all (of taking JD(S) support). We will get an absolute majority," he said.
Asked if the exit of Shettar will impact Lingayat votes, the chief minister said, "Not at all. We will win Shettar's seat." The dominant Lingayats comprise 17 per cent of Karnataka's population.
"Looking into his background and track record, it is neither acceptable to BJP nor to some of the Congress supporters. So, it is totally not at all an organic shift for Shettar," he said.
On the caste-based quota, he said internal reservation under OBCs and other things were a long pending demand and "I have addressed" them.
Earlier, many people were denied the benefit because reservation was not given as per the population. Those sections of people have got hopes now with internal reservation, he said.
"We have recommended the internal reservation; ultimately the Government of India has to take a call," he added.
Ahead of the elections, the state government created two new categories of OBCs to include the Lingayats and Vokkaligas to provide the benefits of reservation.
Dismissing the Congress' 40 per cent commission charge against his government, Bommai challenged, "Let the press or the Opposition or the contractors' association show one case (against our government). I will answer."
He also blamed the Opposition for the saffron party not raising development issues in the election campaign. "It is because of the Opposition. We have done a lot of development in the state. They are going to fail," he added.
Stating that the Congress has taken the election discourse to a very low level, Bommai said BJP legislator Basangounda Patil Yatnal's 'Visha Kanye' remarks, aimed at former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, are "not normal."
But it has been taken to a "very low level by the Congress."
"It started with Congress. The Visha Sarpa (venomous snake) remark was made at none other than (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi by AICC President (Mallikarjun Kharge). That's how the reaction comes. You cannot say and get away," he said.
Asked if he is emerging as a dominant Lingayat leader after B S Yediyurappa, Bommai said, there was a battery of leaders in the party now. "All are leaders, there is nothing called second rung."
The CM is seeking re-election for the fourth consecutive time from the Shiggaon constituency in Haveri district. The Congress has fielded Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan from the constituency, while Sashidhar Yeligar, who is a Panchamashali Lingayat, is the JD(S) pick.
Asked if he is worried about the triangular fight in his constituency with the JD(S) candidate , Bommai, a Sadar Lingayat said this question has been raised by the press for the last 15 years.
"Everytime, they (people) have voted for me. They have love and affection more than political relations with all the families. So, I am very confident that all sections of the society and all castes will vote for me," he asserted.
On water and drainage issues in the constituency, he said these are the gram panchayat issues. "They are temporary and will be solved later."
Highlighting development works undertaken in Shiggaon, he said about 2,000 km of roads have been constructed. "All my village roads are concrete and village to field roads are tar (bitumen-topped) roads which no other constituencies have," he added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Modi govt by changing name of MGNREGA exposed its 'hatred' towards Gandhi: Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that the union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attempting to change the name and structure of the MGNREGA, has itself exposed its "hatred" towards the poor and towards Mahatma Gandhi.
He also accused the Centre of "altering" the very structure of the scheme, by shifting nearly 40 per cent of the cost onto the state governments, and called Modi "anti federal".
Suggesting that the NDA government at the Centre start a "Ministry of Name Change", with the Prime Minister himself holding that portfolio, the CM warned of a statewide agitation against this name change move.
The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, that seeks to replace the existing rural employment law MGNREGA, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday amid strong objections by the opposition to the "removal" of Mahatma Gandhi's name from it.
ALSO READ: Slain Australia beach shooting suspect native of Hyderabad: T'gana police
"The Union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which is attempting to change the name and structure of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA), has itself exposed its hatred towards the poor and towards Mahatma Gandhi," Siddaramaiah said in a statement.
Implemented by the UPA government 20 years ago, the MGNREGA scheme has played a crucial role in eradicating unemployment and poverty in rural areas, he said, adding that "this scheme, which guarantees the right to employment to every individual, has received praise from economists both in India and abroad."
Noting that MGNREGA was a genuine form of employment guarantee, the CM said the proposed new structure under the Modi government strips away that guarantee and places the assurance of work at the whims of political leaders.
"This will further deepen caste discrimination and social inequality," he claimed.
Highlighting that the NDA government has altered the very structure of MGNREGA, a scheme whose entire expenditure was earlier borne by the Central government, by shifting nearly 40 per cent of the cost onto the state governments, Siddaramaiah said this stands as clear evidence of the "anti-federal attitude" that Prime Minister Modi has followed ever since coming to power.
"This move will also increase the migration of poor people in search of work as the proposed form does not guarantee employment in their own location -- forcing families to travel long distances to survive," he said.
Naming this scheme after Mahatma Gandhi, who sowed the dream of Gram Swaraj, was a meaningful decision, the CM said, "While Prime Minister Narendra Modi indulges in praising Gandhi during his foreign tours, within the country he has consistently engaged in attempts to erase Gandhi's legacy from key national programmes. From a parivar that seeks to glorify Gandhi's assassin Godse, what different conduct can one really expect?"
"Narendra Modi is widely known for simply changing the names of landmark schemes launched by the UPA government rather than preserving or strengthening them. It would be more appropriate for this government to start a 'Ministry of Name Change,' with the Prime Minister himself holding that portfolio," he said.
More than 25 flagship programmes launched during earlier governments were merely renamed or repackaged by the present regime, the CM further said, listing out that the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan was rechristened as the Swachh Bharat Mission, while the Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account scheme was rebranded as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, among others.
"These changes reflect a consistent pattern of altering names rather than fundamentally strengthening or expanding the original intent of these welfare initiatives," he added.
Stating that the Congress party and state government strongly condemn this "anti-people" decision of the Narendra Modi government, which has snatched food from the plates of the poor, insulted Bapu, and attempted to strangle state governments financially, Siddaramaiah warned about launching a statewide agitation against this move.
"The responsibility of preserving the MGNREGA scheme in its original form must also be taken up by the lakhs of beneficiaries of the scheme. They must hold the BJP leaders of the state accountable and exert pressure on them to raise their voices against this injustice, rising above party lines," he said.
