Daijiworld Media Network - Kasargod
Kasargod, Apr 5: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the LDF government, alleging that a decade of its rule has pushed Kerala towards “bankruptcy”, leaving the state grappling with unemployment, rising prices and inflation.
Addressing an election campaign rally at Vorkady Majir Palla near Manjeshwar in support of UDF candidate A K M Ashraf, he said Kerala today faces mounting debt, unemployment and inflation, drawing comparisons with the earlier Congress government and the present LDF regime.
He asserted that the BJP has no place in Kerala. “The BJP is against farmers, Dalits, backward classes, minorities and women. The party has no ideology and stands with the rich, upper classes and corporate entities,” he said.
Referring to the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, Siddaramaiah said the Congress had announced its guarantee schemes ahead of the polls, which were criticised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “He had said implementing these guarantees would bankrupt the state,” he noted.
“There were continuous criticisms from the BJP that the guarantees would empty the state treasury. However, the Congress government has successfully implemented them over the past three years, spending Rs 1.31 lac crore so far,” he said.
He pointed out that within a month of assuming office in May 2023, the government rolled out the Shakti scheme, enabling 3.5 crore women to travel free in government buses in Karnataka. “Similar Indira guarantee schemes have been announced in Kerala. Free travel helps people save money,” he added.
Highlighting welfare economics, he said extending financial support to the lower sections, in line with the concept of universal basic income, would not go to waste. “Savings from schemes like Shakti increase women’s purchasing power,” he said, adding that under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, Rs 2,000 per month is being provided to 1.26 crore women.
He further remarked that the BJP lacks the ability to design such pro-people programmes, but has imitated them in states like Maharashtra.
Expressing confidence in the UDF, Siddaramaiah urged voters to support candidate Ashraf if they believe Kerala too will “deliver on its promises”.
He said that under the Gruha Jyoti scheme, up to 200 units of electricity are being provided free of cost, ensuring that poor households do not have to pay electricity bills. “The Congress is a party that stands for the poor, and the UDF is also a pro-poor alliance,” he added.
Among those present were MP Rajmohan Unnithan, KPCC secretary Balakrishnan Periya, Sudhir Kumar Maroli, candidate Ashraf, Karnataka minister Bose Raju, Subbiah Rai, MLAs Ashok Kumar Rai, Vinay Kumar Sorake and former Karnataka minister Ramanath Rai. Block panchayat president Saifulla Thangal, Hakeem Kunnil, Harshad Vorkady, Somashekar J S, Suresh Shetty, Manjunath Alva, Aziz Marike, and District Congress president P K Faizal were also present.