The ruling Congress in the State, banking on its implementation of five ‘guarantee’ schemes to garner votes in the Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka, is holding a series of ‘Guarantee Samaveshas’. These bear a resemblance to Labharthi (group of beneficiaries) conventions that the BJP has been holding ahead of elections in several States. Congress leaders have also been contending that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “stolen” the Congress’s idea by using the slogan ‘Modi ki guarantee’ while constantly mocking its schemes aimed at alleviating the plight of the poor amid price rise.
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“Karnataka is at the centre of the Congress’ strategy for the parliamentary elections,” sources said. More than four crore people have benefited from the successful implementation of guarantee schemes and it is an important poll plank related to life and livelihood to counter the Opposition (BJP and JD-S), he added. The Opposition is expected to focus on issues such as the blast at The Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru recently to make a point about law and order and “minority appeasement”.
On Saturday, Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda addressed one such samavesha in Mangaluru where he said the five guarantee schemes of the State government were aimed at returning the taxes collected from people to the people to de-stress life affected by enormous price rise caused by the policies of the Central government. Labour Minister Santosh Lad held another one in Kundagol on Saturday and said the State government had taken every step to ensure guarantee benefits reach every household. Similar conventions are being held in Mandya on Sunday and Chamarajanagar on Monday, which are scheduled to be attended by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
The party has already held divisional-level conventions on the five guarantees in Kalaburagi, Shivammoga, Mangaluru, and Channapatna. It has decided to hold taluk, Assembly, and district-level conventions, largely focusing on guarantees.
The government will constitute three-level committees — State, district, and constituency — for monitoring the implementation of five guarantees, Anna Bhagya, Shree Shakti, Gruha Jyothi, Gruha Lakshmi, and Yuva Nidhi. The former Minister H.M. Revanna, loyalist of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has been appointed head of the State-level committee on guarantees.