The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is losing supporters to other parties, not the Congress, Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress president, said on Saturday in response to a question about whether the Karnataka branch of the party is united. This indicates that the BJP is the target of discontent, not the Congress.
“Certainly,” the head of the Congress replied. “Have you noticed any dissenters like in the BJP after the tickets were announced? There is a BJP exodus to other parties.” In other words, BJP, not Congress, is where there is most discontent. According to Kharge, the BJP government in Karnataka has been in power for five years and throughout that time has supported corruption, to the chagrin of the local populace.
“People are fed up because in these 5 years whatever the BJP Govt did, more or less they encouraged corruption. They were taking 40 pc commission openly, which was proved by the contractors themselves. I think that this is enough, they need not get defence from others. So, corruption, lack of infrastructure and division among caste and reserved categories, they are doing mischief. But people are united, they want Congress to come to power”, he said.
Reacting to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement that Congress gave a 4 per cent quota to Muslims illegally in Karnataka, Kharge said that the quota was given long back.
“This 4 per cent quota was given long back. When Supreme Court did not strike it down, why are you people doing this yourself? You (BJP) are snatching away whatever the government gave to the poor and minorities and are creating divisions just for votes”, Kharge added.
The 224-seat Assembly polls in Karnataka are slated to take place in a single phase on May 10 and results will be declared on May 13.