Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed confidence in the Congress party’s prospects ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, stating that they are poised to win in 20 out of the 28 segments. Speaking to media personnel upon his arrival at Mysuru Airport on Sunday, Siddaramaiah emphasized the party’s commitment to truthfulness, contrasting it with what he described as the BJP’s tendency to exaggerate their potential victories.
Siddaramaiah attributed the Congress party’s electoral strength to their track record of achievements, particularly highlighting the success of their guarantee schemes. He disclosed that the government had already disbursed Rs 36,000 crores towards implementing these schemes over the past ten months, with an additional allocation of Rs 52,009 crores for the upcoming financial year.
In a scathing critique of the BJP, Siddaramaiah accused its leaders of habitual dishonesty, alleging that they had failed to fulfill even a fraction of the promises made during the previous Lok Sabha polls. He questioned the fulfillment of pledges such as depositing Rs 15 lakh into people’s accounts and creating 2 crore jobs annually.
Regarding candidate selection, Siddaramaiah stated that the Congress party would announce nominees for the remaining Lok Sabha constituencies by Monday or Tuesday. He clarified that the process was not marred by confusion, but rather organized in phases.
Responding to queries about nepotism allegations concerning the allocation of Lok Sabha tickets to relatives of ministers, Siddaramaiah asserted that candidates were chosen based on public demand.
The Chief Minister also extended his best wishes for the speedy recovery of former CM H D Kumarswamy. Following his arrival in Mysuru, Siddaramaiah convened a meeting of Congress leaders to discuss strategies for the Mysuru-Kodagu Lok Sabha polls at a private hotel.