Mandya (Karnataka): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday termed the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as a battle between two ideologies — INDIA bloc “fighting for Constitution” on the one hand and BJP, which wants to “abolish constitution and democracy,” on the other.
He said if the INDIA bloc is voted to power, it will be “a government of ordinary citizens, farmers, labourers and traders”, while highlighting his party’s manifesto for the polls.
“This is a fight between two ideologies. There is Congress and INDIA bloc on one hand, which fought for the Constitution, gave Constitution and democracy to the country. On the other hand there is BJP, which wants to abolish the Constitution and democracy and is placing their people in all the institutions,” Gandhi said, addressing an election rally here.
While the BJP-government “belonged to 22 to 25 rich people”, Congress will give a government which will work for the ordinary citizens, farmers, labourers and traders, he said.
He alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre ran “Hafta Bazi” (extortion scheme) as he called the now-scrapped electoral bonds scheme as the biggest ever extortion scam in the world.
Gandhi asked people to Google and watch Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s interview on electoral bonds to see how his hands were shaking.
“You must have seen Narendra Modi’s interview. In that interview he spoke about electoral bonds. It was an hour-long interview where he tried to clarify on electoral bonds.
“Just do one thing. Go to Google and see the interview, you will notice that his hands are trembling because the electoral bond is the biggest ever corruption in India,” he said.
“On the street it is known as extortion and ‘Hafta Bazi’. Usually these works are done by petty goons. They bully and extort money. Electoral bonds are the biggest ever extortion scam of the world. That was the reason that the Prime Minister’s hands were shaking while explaining it,” Gandhi alleged.
This is his first visit to Congress-governed Karnataka after the election schedule was announced a month ago.
In Mandya, the Congress is facing JD(S) which is BJP’s alliance partner. There is a direct contest between JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy and Congress’ Venkataramane Gowda, popularly known as ‘Star Chandru’ here.
The Congress had secured only one seat in the 2019 general elections in Karnataka, which has a total of 28 constituencies. BJP had bagged 25 while an independent candidate backed by the party had also emerged victorious. JD(S) which fought the elections in alliance with the Congress, won in one segment.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said the party will win 15 to 20 seats in the state this time around. Mandya will vote in the first of the two phase elections in Karnataka.
While 14 constituencies in the southern part of the state are going for election on April 26, the second phase voting for the northern districts will be held on May 7.
Targeting the JD(S), Gandhi called it a “partner” of the BJP which assists them 24 hours a day.
“I had told you during the assembly election (2023) that there is a BJP here, which has got a ‘B’ team and you relied on it and today it is now known to everyone that it is not just a ‘B’ team but their partner. They help them 24 hours a day,” Gandhi said.
Last year’s assembly elections in the state witnessed a triangular contest between the Congress, BJP and JD(S).
