Bengaluru, Aug 12 (IANS): Karnataka is all set to be a source of strength for the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) in the upcoming parliamentary elections. After electing the Congress party to power with a thumping majority, the state has now become a mainstay of the grand old party.
With the implementation of its guarantee schemes and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah managing to polarise the voters of Alpsankhyak, Hindulida and Dalit (Ahinda) block and also managing to balance between the influential Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities, the Congress is going from strength to strength.
The people are happy with the guarantee schemes. The Congress government has implemented free travel for women across the state. Crores of households have already got zero electricity bills from August under the free electricity up to 200 units scheme.
The scheme for distribution of free 10 kilograms of rice has also been implemented and now, the government is all set to launch the Griha Lakshmi scheme which gives Rs 2,000 to women heads of BPL families.
Sources in the Congress said that every other day, each household will use one or the other guarantee schemes in Karnataka. Hence, the party is all set to win more than 20 seats in the Lok Sabha elections in the state. The BJP is planning to fight the elections on the Hindutva plank, nationalism and PM Modi, whereas the Congress wil fight the elections with brand CM Siddaramaiah, the Ahinda vote bank and the guarantee schemes.
Regional force JD (S) not being part of the INDIA bloc is not a cause of worry for the Congress as it was defeated on its own turf by Dy CM D.K. Shivakumar being projected as the Vokkaliga face of the Congress party. The JD (S) used to sweep all seven seats in Mandya district, but managed to win only one seat this time. Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda’s grandson and former CM H.D. Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil Kumaraswamy faced defeat in Ramanagar seat against the Congress candidate.
Senior journalist Channabasappa Rudrappa told IANS that Karnataka is going to be the driving force behind the Congress party. The women benefited by the guarantee schemes are experiencing a sense of empowerment. The Griha Laxmi scheme where women get Rs 2,000 will also give more freedom to women.
He said that in Uttar Pradesh, chief minister Yogi Adityanath could rise above caste politics successfully. But, in the Karnataka BJP there is no leader who could match the strength or charisma of Yogi Adityanath. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was let down here by the BJP leadership of Karnataka. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah mockingly stated that wherever PM Modi went in Karnataka during the elections, the Congress registered thumping victories. The Congress candidates also emerged winners in the surrounding constituencies as well, he taunted.
“If everything goes well the Congress would easily win 20 seats in the Lok Sabha elections,” he claimed.
Political analyst Basavaraj Sulibhavi told IANS that the people of Karnataka and south India are rational and religious intolerance is not found among them. This is a land of tolerance. The people since ages have challenged Vaidik hegemony through the sufi, sharana and dasa movements. “The Vaidik hegemony has taken the shape of Hindutva today and is trying to destroy the people’s movements,”
Karnataka has emerged as the icon for other political parties. But, the message has to be well received by the other states of INDIA to defeat the BJP. The formation of INDIA is a healthy development. But only organization will not help, there has to be meticulous preparation, he stated.
He added that the BJP and its organizations are very powerful. They have opened factories of hatred in all the states and divided the people. It is a very difficult job to defeat the BJP. The unity shown by the INDIA leaders has to be upheld.