From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Mysuru, Mar 21: Ridiculing the Congress party’s pre-poll promises through Guarantee Cards with offers of doles to women, unemployed graduates and diploma holders, BPL card holders and all domestic power consumers as “nothing but fake offers,” JD(S) leader and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday, March 21 that the Congress will not be able to fulfil its promises.
Speaking to media persons in Mysuru, he said the four specific Guarantee Cards jointly signed by former Congress chief minister Siddaramaiah and KPCC chief D K Shivakumar will need Rs 25,000 crore and asked how the Congress party will mobilise the money.
He, however, said the JD(S) promise of implementing the Pancharatna Scheme would involve Rs 2.5 lac crore and claimed that he would have no problem in mobilising that kind of money as he had raised Rs 25,000 crore for the waiver of farm loans.
“The Congress gimmick of guarantees is not a guarantee as there is no guarantee of the Congress coming to power. So the Guarantee Number 4 and earlier 3 guarantees are meaningless,” he said.
Kumaraswamy said he became the chief minister twice without even getting a clear majority. “I have implemented the Congress Bhagyas by becoming a chief minister with 37 MLAs. Despite all this, I implemented the Farm Loan Waiver,” he said attacking both the Congress and ruling BJP of indulging in war of words without really focusing on developmental issues.
“I have been travelling 100 kms daily and am appealing to the people to give JD(S) a clear majority to fulfil the party’s promises,” he said.
The JD(S) leader accused the ruling BJP of mobilising crowds for their Vijaya Sankalpa Yatra by paying money and misusing official machinery. BJP is yet to release Rs 1,800 crore to farmers on the farm loan waiver. The ruling party is steeped in corruption and cannot be trusted, he said.
The JD(S) leader said he was sorry that a full-time chief minister and deputy chief minister with a reputation of presenting 13 budgets is unable to find a safe assembly constituency. ``I feel pity for his situation,’’ he said pointing out that he would not like to make fun of the Congress leader.
He, however, declared that JD(S) will win all the six assembly seats in Kolar district, including Kolar.
Answering questions, Kumaraswamy said JD(S) supremo and his father H D Deve Gowda’s health is fine. “Yes, I cried thinking of my father’s health. He is still concerned about the people. People who have humanity cry while the inhuman people do not and make fun of others,” he said.
The JD(S) leader expressed his gratefulness to the Adichunchanagiri Math Seer Sri Nirmalananda Swamiji for advising BJP leaders and Horticulture Minister Munirathna to drop the idea of producing a film on fictional characters of Urigowda and Nanjegowda as the Vokkaliga heroes who had killed Tipu Sultan in the interest of protecting the honour, dignity and self-respect of Vokkaligas. “The Urigowda-Nanjegowda issue has backfired on BJP,” he said.
Kumaraswamy said he was happy at the arrangements of the concluding function of the Pancharatna Yatra at Mysuru near the Chamundi Hills on March 26 and claimed that it was the most important and biggest event of his political career. The concluding function will be attended by a record number of over 10 lakh people and all arrangements for seating, food, water, toilets, parking etc have been made.