Hubballi, Jan 12 (IANS): Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday accused the opposition Congress party of resorting to false promises in a bid to return to power in the state. Bommai was reacting to KPCC president DK Shivakumar's poll promise of providing 200 units of free electricity to every household if elected to office in the 2023 assembly polls.

Speaking to the media here, Bommai said, "The Congress leader's statement shows his frustration and this has given a feeling that Shivakumar doesn't have the intention of implementing it. The Congress party wants to win the election by making false promises."

With the assembly polls due to be held in the first half of this year, political activity is heating up in the state. On Wednesday, the state unit of the Congress launched a bus yatra from Belagavi. Taking a leaf out of Delhi chief minister and Aam Admi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal's poll strategy, Shivakumar had announced free electricity of upto 200 units to each household if the Congress is elected.

Bommai described Shivakumar's statement as 'irresponsible'. "It would have been acceptable had the same statement been made by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as he is a novice to politics. When the Congress government failed to ensure an uninterrupted power supply for six hours how can they give the free power?" Bommai wondered.