Bommai Calls Bagalkot Bypoll ‘Direction-Setting,’ Targets Congress
Accusing the Congress of betraying the poor and marginalised communities, Bommai said the bypoll would set the tone for the state’s political future.
Bagalkot: Haveri MP and Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the Bagalkot by-election would serve as a direction-setting election to politically contain the Congress, asserting that a defeat for the party here could weaken it significantly over the next two years.
Campaigning for BJP candidate Veeranna Charantimath at Bevoor village on Saturday, Bommai said the bypoll presents an opportunity for voters to respond to what he termed as the Congress party’s false promises made during the 2023 Assembly elections.
Accusing the Congress of betraying the poor and marginalised communities, Bommai said the bypoll would set the tone for the state’s political future. “If the Congress is defeated here, it will be wiped out in the next two years,” he said.
“In the last three years, no significant development has taken place in the rural parts of Bagalkot. Even the AHINDA communities, on whom the Chief Minister relies, are disillusioned,” he said.
Bommai also accused the government of discontinuing several welfare schemes.
“During our tenure, we provided benefits under the Ganga Kalyana scheme to SC/ST communities. Compensation of Rs 5 lakh was given to those who lost houses in floods, and scholarships were provided to farmers’ children. All these have now been stopped,” he claimed.
Referring to the Upper Krishna Project, he said that when he was the Chief Minister, he had earmarked Rs 4,000 crore and moved to provide compensation, but the Congress opposed it.
“Now, with elections approaching, they have started giving compensation,” he alleged.
He said a total compensation of about Rs 1.3 lakh crore is required in the region, including Rs 75,000 crore for those who have lost their land.
“They had issued an order stating that a fixed amount would be given separately for dry land and irrigated land, and promised to allocate Rs 18,000 crore annually. However, in the current budget, only Rs 3,000 crore has been earmarked, and even that may not be fully utilised,” he said.
Taking a dig at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Bommai said that while the people of north Karnataka had supported him from Badami in the 2018 election, he later shifted back to Mysuru. “People’s trust has been taken for granted. This is the time to teach them a lesson,” he added.
