Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress President on 31st of October lashed out at the Karnataka government following remarks from Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. Shivakumar has earlier suggested a review of one of the state’s key guarantees, that is to reconsider the ‘Shakti’ scheme, which provides free bus rides to women on non-luxury government buses to which the BJP has demanded an apology from Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Kharge, accusing the party of misleading the public with promises it cannot fulfill.
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Mallikarjun Kharge in a press conference sitting next to Karnataka Chief Minister and Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister said “You promised five guarantees in Karnataka. Inspired by you, we promised five guarantees in Maharashtra. If promises exceed budget capacity, it could lead to bankruptcy and even bring disrepute to the government and future generations may have to face financial restrictions for years”
Taking a dig at the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi remarked that the Congress has been exposed. He took to twitter to write “The Congress Party is realizing the hard way that making unreal promises is easy but implementing them properly is tough or impossible. Campaign after campaign they promise things to the people, which they also know they will never be able to deliver. Now, they stand badly exposed in front of the people! Check any state where the Congress has Governments today – Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana- the developmental trajectory and fiscal health is turning from bad to worse. Their so-called Guarantees lie unfulfilled, which is a terrible deceit upon the people of these states. The victims of such politics are the poor, youngsters, farmers and women, who are not only denied the benefits of these promises but also see their existing schemes diluted.”
He further added “In Karnataka, Congress is busier in intra-party politics and loot instead of even bothering to deliver on development. Not only that, they are also going to rollback existing schemes. In Himachal Pradesh, salaries of Government workers is not paid on time. In Telangana, farmers are waiting for the waiver they promised. Previously, in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan they promised certain allowances which were never implanted for five years. There are numerous such examples of how the Congress works. The people of the country will have to be vigilant against the Congress sponsored culture of fake promises! We saw recently how the people of Haryana rejected their lies and preferred a Government that is stable, progress oriented and action driven. There is a growing realisation across India that a vote for Congress is a vote for non-governance, poor economics and unparalleled loot.The people of India want development and progress, not the same old #FakePromisesOfCongress!”
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How Freebies are a disaster
Labeling freebies as a core strategy of opposition parties in India wouldn’t be far-fetched; while these promises may bolster their election campaigns, they pose serious risks for society. Freebies, when offered without sustainable planning, can lead to financial strain and even bankruptcy for the state. However, opposition parties appear largely unconcerned about these financial consequences, prioritizing election victories above fiscal responsibility.
Economists and experts have repeatedly cautioned against such policies, calling them detrimental to long-term economic health, and even the Supreme Court of India has warned about their harmful impact on society. Despite these criticisms, opposition parties continue to introduce freebie-driven schemes in various states, seemingly disregarding the potential for financial instability and the lasting harm it could bring.
Troubles for Karnataka Congress
Throwing fake promises is not a newborn pre-poll strategy of Indian National Congress. The strategy is made into action in every other state the political party fights an election but the Karnataka Congress has surpassed every other Congress ruled state as far as issuing fake guarantees to the public is concerned.
The Karnataka Congress is facing mounting criticism amid allegations of irregularities and controversial land deals, prompting several policy reversals. In a recent incident, the state government acknowledged a misclassification that designated 1,200 acres of farmland in Vijayapura district as WAQF board property. Following intense backlash from farmers and public protests, officials assured they would withdraw acquisition notices. This incident adds to a series of controversies that have fueled accusations of mismanagement.
Earlier, the government faced criticism for policy U-turns, such as retracting the “100% quota” for Kannadigas and returning land initially allotted to the relatives of high-ranking officials, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The voluntary return of these plots, perceived by critics as an “admission of guilt,” has amplified accusations of favoritism and alleged “Muslim appeasement.”
Political Vendetta
Karnataka Congress is also facing the charges of political vendetta. Recently, the Deputy CM DK Shivakumar released a list of assembly constituencies in the BBMP region that received a sum of Rs 10 crore each, but the name of Jayanagar constituency was conspicuously missing from the list. Notably, BJP MLA CK Ramamurthy is the public representative of the constituency.