Taking note of Congress party’s alleged ‘delay’ in implementing the five guarantees committed by it during Karnataka poll campaign, former Chief Minister and BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai on Monday accused the Congress of “cheating voters” by “attaching conditions” to its guarantees and doubted whether it would “fully operationalize” them.
Bommai expressed doubts whether the Congress government would fulfill its promises maintaining that the ruling party may soon show their true colours by using delaying tactics towards announcing legislative provisions for implementing poll-guaranties.
After some tug of war for key cabinet posts, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has allocated portfolios to ministers , keeping the Finance department with himself while assigning the Irrigation and Bengaluru City Development departments to his deputy DK Shivakumar.
Siddaramaiah took the oath of office with Shivakumar and eight ministers on May 20.
Instances have come to notice where women who voted for the Congress have refused to pay for the bus tickets in Bengaluru drawing attention to the ‘free-ride promise’ by the party. Similarly, many have resolved not to pay for the bill below 200 units.
“Looking at various statements by Ministers, it looks like — it is certain that they said something and will do something else. During the election without speaking about any conditions they said it (guarantees) will be free for everyone. The Chief Minister had said with example that — it is free for me, you and everyone,” Bommai said .
Speaking to newspersons at Bengaluru , he said in the in-principle approval order too it was mentioned that guarantees will be for everyone, but now statements are being made that they will be applicable only to those eligible and not for everyone.
“By making changes they (Congress) have made ‘dhoka’ (cheated) to the people of Karnataka. People have given them power based on these guarantees, without responding to it, they are speaking about the previous (BJP) government’s promises....Them (Congress leaders) making lame excuses, indicates that they will not operationalise the guarantees fully. Their true colours will come out in open in a few days,” he added.
Responding to a question about delay in choosing the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Bommai said, there is no delay, normally the Leader of Opposition is elected on the eve of the first session, and it is going to happen accordingly.
The Congress had promised to implement the ‘guarantees’ — 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), `2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), 10 kg of rice free to every member of a BPL household (Anna Bhagya), `3,000 every month for unemployed graduate youth and `1,500 for unemployed diploma holders (both in the age group of 18-25) (YuvaNidhi), and free travel for women in public transport buses (Shakti), on the very first day of assuming power in the state.
After having accorded in-principal approval for guarantees in the first cabinet meeting on May 20, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said they would “most likely” be implemented after the next Cabinet meeting.
In Himachal Pradesh where Congress won the assembly election this year, the party had made similar guarantees including the implementation of old-pension scheme, some of them have been implemented.