BJP opposing issue of ‘guarantee cards’ by Congress, claims former MP

Frustrated with a promise made by the Congress in its Lok Sabha election manifesto, the BJP was opposing the distribution of “guarantee cards” to the people by the party, said L. Hanumanthaiah, former MP.

Mr. Hanumanthaiah, who is also the co-chairman of the Congress campaign committee in Karnataka, said the Congress as well as BJP had come out with their respective manifestoes for the coming elections.

Claiming that the Congress manifesto was “pro-people”, Mr. Hanumanthaiah said the party had promised ₹1 lakh per annum to all eligible women belonging to the SC and ST communities in the country.

But, the BJP had taken exception to the “guarantee” of the Congress and had lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against the distribution of “guarantee cards” to the people.

The Congress was planning to distribute “guarantee cards” with signatures of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Congress President M. Mallikarjun Kharge. But, the BJP had moved the Election Commission to prevent its distribution.

Mr. Hanumanthaiah, however, said he was confident that the “guarantees” of the Congress would hold the party in good stead like they did during the Assembly elections held last year.

The Congress campaign committee co-chairman also sought to clarify that the promise of the party to pay all eligible women from the SC and ST communities ₹1 lakh per annum was not a lie. The party will implement it when it comes to power, he said.

Mr. Hanumanthaiah also trained his guns on the JD(S) and said former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda was ready for any compromise to “protect the party and the family”.

Mr. Gowda and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, who had strongly criticized both the BJP and RSS, were now singing their paeans, he lamented.

Mysuru City Congress president R. Murthy and former Minister M. Shivanna were also present on the occasion.