From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bagalkot/Vijayapura, Feb 22: Leader of Opposition in Assembly and Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Wednesday declared that the Congress party will not stay in power if it is unable to fulfill its electoral promises.
"We are committed to distribute Rs 2,000 a month to each housewife in a family or Rs 24,000 annually and 200 units of free power to all domestic households. This is our commitment and guarantee to the people,’’ he said addressing a series of public meetings during his Prajadhwani Yatra in Bagalkot and Vijayapura districts on Wednesday.
The former chief minister symbolically distributed guarantee cards on the two
major promises signed by him and KPCC president D K Shivakumar to some of the people to signify the party’s commitment.
"The Congress party has implemented Anna Bhagya, Krishi Bhagya, Maithri,
Manaswini, Indira Canteens, Shadi Bhagya, Mathrupoorna, waiver of farm loans, Ksheeradhare, Ksheerabhagya and many other programmes as promised in the past,’’ he said pointing out that the Congress government had supplied power at Rs 1.25 per unit to weavers and written off farm loans up to Rs 50,000.
Siddaramaiah said the Congress government headed by him had implemented 158 out of the 165 electoral promises. The party had promised to spend Rs 50,000 crore on irrigation projects in 5 years and actually spent Rs 56,000 crore unlike the ruling BJP, which had promised to spend Rs 1.5 lakh crore in 5 years on irrigation project and had actually spent around Rs 50,000 crore.
Out of the 600 poll promises, BJP has fulfilled barely 50. "This proves that Congress party delivers on its promises,’’ he said.
The Congress leader said the party would spend Rs 2 lakh crore on irrigation projects in 5 years after coming to power and will complete all irrigation projects. The government will also ensure the rehabilitation and resettlement of Bagalkot, he said.
He attacked the ruling BJP for publicly threatening to ‘’finish’’ him off and instigate people to kill Siddaramaiah as was done to Tipu Sultan. "Nobody can touch or harm me as long as I have the support of the people. I am prepared to die for the sake of people,’’ he said warning that "If one Siddaramaiah is killed, thousands will arise. I am committed to fight for the people, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, backward classes, minorities and fight for the rights of women and farmers.’’
Siddaramaiah lashed out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his speech in Mangaluru that the electoral battle in the next elections is between "Abbakka vs Tipu Sultan" while State BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel says people should not talk about development, roads and drainages but on "love jihad".
"This is the kind of people in BJP and the people must teach them a lesson,’’ he said asking the people to put an end to the politics of hatred and communalism.
He asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to explain to the people on what happened to his promise of "Acche Din" or the statement of "Na Khavoonga, Khane Doonga" and said people are suffering due to corruption, commission and price rise.