Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar says the Congress' poll promise of five guarantees was a "very tough call" and 🌃feels it can be a template for the party in other states depending upon their respective financial strength.
"Governments help big businesses by waiving off loans of crores of rupees, but how t💖o help the common man? So we decided on guarantees," Shivakumar told PTI in an interview here o꧅ver the weekend.
He further said꧋ economic issues, unemployment and poverty are the core matters, not the ideological ones, as &q൩uot;they don't fill the stomach."
Shivakumar, 61, also claimed that the BJP and the JD(S) are joining hands in Karnataka for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, even as he expressed confidence about the Congress getting good numbers after its stunning performance in the recently concluded Assembly e☂lections, ousting the saffron party from its lone southern citadel.
On the poll guarantees, he said the respective state units of the party will have to take the 🌄call.
To a question on whether poll guarantees can be the template for the Congress in other states where Assembly elections are due in the next year since it seems to have been a key factor for its landslide victory in Karnataka, Shivakumar sai𒀰d it depends on the financial strength of the state concerned.
"It all depends upon their financial strength. Karnataka has financial strength. Why we gave these guarantees is because of the price rise. Prices have gone high while income has gone to the bottom, so in order to compensate for the price rise, we thought the government should help the peo꧟ple. We know that it is a very tough call we have taken," said Shivakumar, who is also the KPCC chief, referring to the poll agenda toꦇ roll out citizen-centric promises.
The Karnataka Cabinet on June 2 decided to implement the Congress' five poll guaranteꩲes without any discrimination on the basis of caste or religion and has fixed a timeline to operationalise th🍒e schemes within this financial year.
Recalling his statement calling the poll guarantees to provide subsidy benefits to people as "the first big political decision in the history of Indian politics", Shivakumar said, "I'm right, it touches more than Rs 50,000 crore.ﷺ In one day, in one cabinet meeting we have cleared it a💧ll to help the common man... We have literally walked the talk."
The five guarantees are -- 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), 10 kg of free rice to every member of a BPL household (Anna Bhagya), Rs 3,000 every month for unemployed graduates and Rs 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).
To a question on the 2024 🎶Lok Sabha electi𝓡ons, Shivakumar said his party will make "alternative plans"; to counter the BJP and JD(S)' poll strategy in Karnataka. The Congress has set a target of winning at least 20 out of the total of 28 parliamentary seats in the state.
"Don't know about the national level. As far as Karnataka is concerned, BJP and JD(S) both of them are joining hands, this is what I have come to know," said Shivakumar, wh�♉�o is considered to be a master strategist of the Congress.
"So we will make alternative plans. We don't mind, let them join💃 hands, but the Congress party will have a good number,"ꩲ; he said.
Karnataka has 28 Lok Sabha seats. The BJP had swept the 2019 Lok Sabha polls by winning 25 seats, while an independent backed by it bagged one seat. The Congress and JD(S) won 🍌one seat each.
There were reports in a section of the media that the JD(S) would enter into an alliance with the BJP to fight the Lok Sabha polls. It was also said that JD(S) leader and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy during his recent visit𓄧 to New Delhi had met some✃ senior BJP leaders.
The JD(S) has, however, denied these reports.
The KPCC chief, in response to a question, said "time will answer" as to how long he and his voters will have toꩵ wait with patience to see him as the chief minister of Karnataka.
On a visit to his Kanakapura constituency after be🌞coming the deputy chief minister, Shivakumar last week had told his voters that their desire (to see him as chief minister) will never be false, and asked them to wait wi𝔍th patience.
He had also said that he gave up the race to become the chief minister and decid🔯ed to remain “patient” following the advice of the Gandhis and Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Several rounds o꧙f hectic parley꧙s in New Delhi involving the AICC leadership last month had preceded government formation in Karnataka.
Siddar🎶amaiah, the now chief minister, and Shivakumar were locked in an in𝕴tense power struggle over who will lead the new Congress government after their party bagged 135 out of total 224 seats in the Assembly.
According to Shivakumar, the pro-poor agenda and localised c𝔍ampaign worked in favour of the Congress in the Assembly polls.
"Definitely the pro-poor agenda and localised campaign worked. We also worked as an organisation. We made our cadres, workers and leaders work, they did n𒅌ot sleep even for a day. I also didn't sleep, and did not allow them to sleep. All of us worked together. It was a team effort," he added.
Broadly throwing light on his and his party's vision for Karnataka for the next🐬 five years, the state Congress president said, "We want to make Karnataka corruption free, we want to give a government with good governance.&qu꧂ot;
Beng꧋aluru and Karnataka are kno꧋wn for unity in diversity nationally and internationally, he said.
"We want everyone to be peaceful and happy. I don't want any communal issues. For example south canara a🔜nd north canara (coastal areas) a lot of problems happened and no investors are ready to go there. Without creating job opportunities we cannot satisfy the youngsters. If there are no jobs all the human resources we have built will go outside the state. Employment, good governance and a feeling of change is important."
"Not only Brand Bengaluru, we want Brand Karnataka," Shivakumar, who is 💃the Minister in-charge for Bengaluru De💞velopment said.
"We are branding Bengaluru for a better Bengaluru. I'm ju𒐪st working on it, I have just reviewed the working of various agencies in the city," he added.
Asked for his comments on him being described as a master strategist, trouble shooter, tactician and a go-to-man, he said, "It is the creation of the media and some political leaders, but basically I'm a party cadre, a grass root worker. I can understand the sentiment of the common man. Ultimately they (people) should be happy, they should feel they are safe in this Congress ꦆgovernment."
