BJP’s ‘B team’ has become its partner in Karnataka, says Rahul Gandhi in swipe at JD(S)

Rahul Gandhi addresses his first election rally in Karnataka

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addresses an election campaign rally in support of the party’s candidate in Mandya constituency Venkatarame Gowda (Star Chandru) on April 17, 2024.

Taking a swipe at the JD(S), Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the BJP’s ‘B team’ has now become it’s ‘partner’ in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing his first election rally in Karnataka at Mandya on April 17, Mr Gandhi recalled his statement during earlier elections in Karnataka that the JD(S) was the BJP’s ‘B team’.

Claiming that the people of Karnataka had believed him when he said so, Mr. Gandhi said JD(S), which had now entered into an alliance with the BJP, had been helping the saffron party at every stage.

JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy is the candidate of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Mandya.

Before leaving for Kolar, where also like Mandya, the Congress will fight it out with a JD(S) candidate, Mr. Gandhi told the gathering in Mandya to vote for Congress candidate Venkatarame Gowda, popularly known as ‘Star Chandru’.

Earlier, Mr Gandhi said the ensuing Lok Sabha elections is a fight between two ideologies. While the ideology of INDIA bloc, led by the Congress, stood for safeguarding the Constitution and democracy, the forces representing RSS-BJP were out to undermine the Constitution.

After claiming that it was a matter of pride for him to say that the Congress government in Karnataka had implemented all the five pre-Assembly poll guarantees, Mr. Gandhi reiterated the promises made by the party for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in its manifesto.

He said the Congress party, when it comes to power at the Centre, will bring in a law to ensure legally guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP), waive off all farm loans at the national level, and settle the full claim on crop insurance within 30 days.

The Congress has also promised ₹1 lakh to women of all poor families in India annually, which translates to ₹8,500 per month. If the ₹2,000 given by the Congress government in Karnataka is also taken into account, women from poor families will receive ₹10,500 every month, he said.

The Congress party will also ensure apprenticeship to each educated youth for a period of one year under its ‘Pehli Naukri Pakki’ scheme in which the beneficiaries will be paid ₹8,500 per year.