Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah.
Credit: X/@siddaramaiah
Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced on Saturday that his government will file a case against the BJP for issuing "false" advertisements in poll-bound Maharashtra that the flagship 'guarantee' schemes were not implemented in Karnataka.
Siddaramaiah even offered to arrange a special flight for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders to visit Karnataka so that they can see for themselves.
"The BJP has issued pages and pages of advertisements claiming that the Karnataka government cheated people by not implementing the guarantee schemes. We have decided to file a case against the BJP and teach them a lesson," Siddaramaiah said at a campaign rally in Mangalwedha, Solapur.
"Modi and other masters of lies, come to Karnataka and see. I'll arrange a special flight for you. If the guarantees have not been implemented in Karnataka, then I'll resign. The truth is that the guarantees have been implemented. You must withdraw your advertisements and apologise to the people of Maharashtra," Siddaramaiah said.
Siddaramaiah said his government is giving Rs 56,000 crore to crores of beneficiaries of the guarantee schemes.
Karnataka was the first state where the Congress' welfare push through 'guarantee' schemes was put in action.
On Saturday, before resuming his campaign in Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar flashed a local Marathi newspaper to show the BJP's advertisements.
"They (BJP) are campaigning in Maharashtra saying that we haven't implemented the guarantees. We have also issued advertisements," Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Congress president, said.
The Congress is asking beneficiaries of the guarantee schemes in Karnataka to reach out to their relatives in Maharashtra. "We're also ready to arrange special flights for the Maharashtra CM, deputy CM and others," he said.
Shivakumar said the BJP started offering Rs 1,500 to women under the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana. "BJP has realised the impact of price rise. The BJP-led Mahayuti has promised to increase the amount to Rs 2,100 for women if it wins. They're following the Karnataka model. We have offered Rs 3,000 to women, Rs 4,000 to youth and Rs 25,000 insurance," he said.
According to Shivakumar, the Maha Vikas Aghadi will win 160 seats. "That's what our internal reports say," he said.
Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
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