Ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections scheduled to take place before May 2023, the Congress unit in the state announced the ‘Anna Bhagya’ scheme that provides free 10kg rice every month for people below poverty line (BPL) in the state, if they are elected to power. This is the third poll "promise" that the party has made.
KPCC president DK Shivakumar announced in a media conference that this had been a big demand of people during the party’s ongoing statewide election bus tour - Praja Dhwani Yatre.
Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that their aim was to ensure that no one in the state goes to bed hungry.
Other poll promises
At a convention in Karnataka, Congress party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra promised to give Rs 2,000 a month to a housewife in every household if voted to power. The amount will directly be credited to the accounts of the woman head of the family. The KPCC said that the scheme, titled "Gruha Lakshmi" would benefit 1.5 crore housewives. Gandhi also said that a separate manifesto for women, as was done in Uttar Pradesh, will be brought out in Karnataka.
Earlier, the Congress also promised to provide every household in the state with 200 units of free electricity, every month, if elected to power. The scheme is titled "Gruha Jyothi Yojane''. The Congress said that with the rising prices of essential commodities and the issue of unemployment, it is imperative that Karnataka deserves a government that thinks about public welfare and well-being.
Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah said, 200 units of free power every month is not only limited to Dalits, backward and minorities, it is for everyone, every household. Pointing out that BJP had promised to provide 10 hours of three phase power, he said, "did they give? we (Congress) had promised to provide it (three phase) 7 hours and fulfilled our commitment (while in power last time). Now we have said 200 units of free power and we will fulfill this promise at any cost."
Chief Minister's reaction
Earlier, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai dismissed as "irresponsible and irrational" the Congress' election promise to provide 200 units of free power to all households every month if voted to power in the state. He also said the announcement showed "how low they are in the electoral race".
"It is an irresponsible and irrational decision. They (Congress) are desperate. That's why they are announcing. Many more such announcements are expected from Congress," Bommai told reporters here. "You (people) expect more (freebies) because of the desperation."
(With inputs from PTI)
