Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has stated that the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls are a choice between the BJP’s “threats” and the Congress’ guarantees of good governance. Ramesh, who is campaigning for the party, said that after four years of BJP rule, Karnataka needed “Vitamin-P,” which stands for the Congress’ performance, not the BJP’s polarisation. He added that the Congress had adopted Prime Minister Modi’s “vocal for local” slogan and was raising issues that mattered to the people of Karnataka.
Ramesh dismissed the BJP’s “carpet bombing” campaign strategy, saying that Congress was not worried about it as it had enough “anti-aircraft guns” to deal with it. He also claimed that the Congress would get a “clear majority” in the upcoming polls, rendering “Operation Lotus” unnecessary. “Operation Lotus” is the term used by opposition parties to describe the BJP’s alleged practice of “poaching” MLAs to topple state governments.
Ramesh stressed that the dissidence in the Congress was minimal, unlike the BJP, which had lost several key leaders at the national, state, and local level. He said that five top Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Siddaramaiah, would cover the 224 constituencies during the campaign.
The Congress leader stated that the BJP’s double-engine argument was bogus, particularly in Karnataka, where 94% of the revenues generated for the state were its own or its share of central taxes. He added that the BJP’s “double engine” was an engine of “garam hawa” of economic growth, creating the illusion of economic growth, on one hand, and the other engine of social polarization and divisive politics on the other. Ramesh stressed that Congress was the only party that internalized the double engine of economic growth that was sustainable and equitable and social harmony.
Ramesh predicted a clear majority for the Congress, saying that the BJP’s campaigning was about polarization and divisive issues, which people were fed up with. He added that the Karnataka electorate was wise and knew whom to vote for at which level.
