With the elections nearing, and the end of campaigning imminent, Congress leaders on Thursday exuded confidence on a Congress majority.
Talking to presspersons, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson V.S. Ugrappa said the main reason for the “tide turning in Congress’ favour” was the five-year BJP-rule that saw all kinds of scams and scandals emerge.
“The BJP has failed on every part of their manifesto. Rice was not given at Rs. 2 a Kg., unemployment went up, power was not added to the grid. All their achievements in power and irrigation development were in fact just a completion of projects initiated during previous Congress regimes. People have seen all forms of corruption in the past five years,” he said.
He added that “when” the Congress is voted to power, the Lokayukta report on illegal mining will be implemented and all those found guilty will be punished.
However, when The Hindu asked him about the Congress giving a ticket to Anil Lad, also named in the Lokayukta report, to contest from Bellary, Mr. Ugrappa chose to stay silent and instead laughed it off.
He criticised Mr. Modi on his speech delivered here on Thursday, questioning how the Gujarat Chief Minister can portray himself as a “model for development” when there was 46 per cent malnutrition in the State.
Earlier, Shanimol Usman, All India Congress Committee Secretary, said there was a “feeling among grassroots workers” that the Congress will come to power with a two-thirds majority. Ms. Usman, who accompanied Oommen Chandy, Chief Minister of Kerala, in the campaigning across the State, denied that there was a tactic to get the Kerala CM to woo Malayalam-speaking voters. “Mr. Chandy is a national leader, and even internationally known.
He is campaigning as a Congress leader and not as a Malayali leader,” she said.
