Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that the Karnataka Assembly elections are not about Prime Minister Narendra Modi but the state’s future and its residents.
The state Assembly polls will be held on May 10 and the votes will be counted on May 13.
Addressing a rally in Tumakuru district on Thursday, the Congress leader asked Modi to talk about issues related to the state’s development.
“You [Modi] come to Karnataka for elections but you only talk about yourself,” Gandhi said. “You should tell the people about what work your government has done in the state in the past three years. You should talk about what you are going to do in the next five years. What will you do for the youth, education, health, and corruption in the state?”
He added: “You [Modi] say that Congress has attacked you 91 times, but you never say what you have done for Karnataka. In your next speech you tell the people of the state what you have done for them and what will you do in the next five years.”
Gandhi was referring to Modi’s comments on April 29 that Congress leaders have used abuses against him 91 times. This came after Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge had called the prime minister a “venomous snake”.
On Monday, Gandhi also claimed that Modi does not acknowledge his own party leaders and state chief minister when addressing rallies in the state.
The Congress leader also spoke about his party’s poll guarantees, which includes 200 units of free power to all households, Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family, 10 kilograms of rice free to every member of a Below Poverty Line household.
The party has also guaranteed, Rs 3,000 every month for graduate youth and Rs 1,500 for diploma holders – both for who fall in the age group of 18 and 25 – for two year. The Congress also promised to make public transport free for women in the state.
The party has also promised that it will allocate Rs 30,000 crore to farmers from the state Budget every year.
Meanwhile, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party released its manifesto on Monday promising to implement a Uniform Civil Code as well as a National Register of Citizens in Karnataka.
The “Uniform Civil Code” refers to a proposed common personal law that will govern marriages, divorces, succession and adoption for all Indians. Currently, these practices are regulated by varying personal laws based on the religion practised by the individual or the community to which they belong.
The National Register of Citizens is an exercise meant to identify undocumented migrants residing in the country.
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