Public anger against Congress will ensure NDA victory in MLC polls: Pralhad Joshi
Hubballi: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday expressed confidence that NDA candidates would win all four Legislative Council constituencies, including the Karnataka West Graduates’ constituency, alleging growing public dissatisfaction with the Congress government in the state.
Joshi was speaking to reporters after campaigning for BJP candidate Sankanoor in Hubballi-Dharwad. He criticised the state government over its administration, power shortages, drought management, rising prices and the ongoing sting operation controversy.
Joshi said Karnataka, which had earlier been capable of generating substantial electricity, was now witnessing power cuts affecting farmers and people in rural areas. He accused the Congress government of failing to ensure adequate electricity supply through proper power purchases and management.
He also criticised the government’s drought relief measures, alleging that it had failed to provide adequate compensation to farmers affected by drought.
The previous BJP government had provided compensation of Rs 8,000 per hectare during excessive rainfall, Rs 13,000 for dryland agriculture and Rs 25,000 for irrigated land, he said. In contrast, the present government had announced only Rs 2,500 per farmer family, which was inadequate, he alleged.
On the sting operation controversy that has triggered political debate in Karnataka, Joshi demanded a comprehensive investigation to establish the truth and identify those responsible.
“The investigation must reveal who has committed wrongdoing in the sting operation case. The truth must come out,” he said.
He said the state government should either constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) or ensure an investigation under the supervision of a court. Action should be taken against those found guilty, irrespective of their political affiliations, he added.
Joshi observed that the debate surrounding the controversy was focusing more on identifying those who recorded the sting operation than on investigating the allegations. He said he had several differences of opinion with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah but maintained that a fair investigation was necessary to establish the facts.
Reacting to the Home Minister’s remarks about the health of Union Minister and JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy, Joshi said political differences should be set aside when discussing someone’s health. He stressed that everyone should demonstrate basic courtesy and sensitivity while speaking about another person’s health.
Joshi also accused the Congress government of burdening people through rising prices. He alleged that the costs of milk, diesel, transport services and various certificates had increased under the Congress administration.
“The government is recovering from the people, through price hikes, the benefits it claims to provide through financial assistance,” he alleged.
He also raised concerns over the maintenance of state transport corporation buses and shortages of spare parts, urging the government to pay greater attention to public transport services.
Criticising the Congress party’s political strategy at the national level, Joshi said regional parties had contributed to its declining political influence in several states. He cited Maharashtra, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, alleging that the Congress had lost ground in these states but had subsequently entered into alliances with regional parties.
He said everyone in a democracy must respect constitutional institutions. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the BJP was giving priority to national interests and strengthening its organisational base across the country, he claimed.
On the issues faced by sugarcane farmers, Joshi said a committee headed by Professor Ramesh Chand had been constituted to examine concerns relating to sugarcane prices, discrepancies in weight, recovery rates and other related issues. He appealed to farmers to cooperate with the committee during its study.
Joshi said the Centre’s ethanol-blending policy had improved payment arrangements for sugarcane farmers. He added that ethanol procurement had increased significantly across the country and that using sugarcane products for ethanol production had benefited both farmers and the sugar industry.
However, he urged the Karnataka government to take steps to protect sugarcane farmers’ interests, including fixing a State Advised Price (SAP) for sugarcane and addressing other demands raised by farmers.
He said officials had already been assigned to examine the issues and expressed hope that the committee would arrive at a positive decision soon.
Reiterating his confidence in the BJP’s electoral prospects, Joshi said party candidate Sankanoor would secure an easy victory in the Karnataka West Graduates’ constituency.
He claimed that the BJP was receiving substantial support from graduates and other voters and said the Legislative Council elections would serve as an indication of the political direction ahead of future elections.