From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Sep 12: Change of Chief Ministers in BJP ruled States, including the latest in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Gujarat, is indicative of failures and corruption under BJP rule, said Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee Chief D K Shivakumar on Sunday.

Addressing a media conference at the party office in Hubballi on Sunday, the State Congress President said the change of Chief Ministers in Gujarat and earlier in Karnataka and other States in the North indicates the unpopularity of the BJP governments and their utter failure in handling the Covid pandemic situation. In addition, the BJP ruled States are beset with corruption charges and total mismanagement, he said.

The BJP has changed not only Chief Ministers in States under its control and the Prime Minister has even discarded the previous Union Health Minister, Shivakumar said.

The KPCC Chief claimed that over 4 lakh people have died due to Covid pandemic in Karnataka and demanded that a death audit must be conducted to get the real figures.

“The State and Union Governments must provide compensation to all the deceased family members and we are going to fight for it,’’ he said promising to take up the issue in the State Legislature Session commencing from Monday.

Shivakumar demanded that the new Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai must provide compensation not only to all the dependents of the people who had died due to Covid pandemic but must also sanction financial assistance to the people who were forced to pay lakhs of rupees in hospitals for Covid treatment. Compensation and reliefs must be sanctioned to all the unorganised sections and farmers who suffered heavy losses, he said.

The State Congress President also challenged Bommai to spell out his government’s stand on Mahadayi, Krishna and Mekedatu issues.

“Senior BJP leader and former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar must also spell what he and the party are doing on Mahadayi, Mekedatu and Krishna issues as his party is in power in the State and at the Centre,’’ he said.

Satisfied with results in Kalaburgi, Hubballi-Dharwad polls

The KPCC Chief said the party was satisfied with the results in the recent elections to the City Municipal Corporations in Kalaburgi and Hubballi-Dharwad. The party contested on its own symbol for the first time in Belagavi and Tarikere and, therefore, there is no need to worry over the outcome. “Our candidates have done exceedingly well under the circumstances,’’ he said.

Shivakumar said the ruling BJP need not gloat over the results as they do not indicate the government’s popularity. If the results were positive vote for BJP rule, let them explain why the party is making all clandestine efforts to woo independents and others, he said.

He pointed out that the ruling party had blatantly misused the official machinery and changed the wards to suit their convenience. Despite this, the BJP has failed to get clear majority, he said.

The KPCC Chief admitted that the party had failed in the selection of proper candidates based on local needs and aspirations of the local people. The conditions in civic elections and local body polls are entirely different than in assembly or parliamentary polls, he said and explained that the Congress party gives equal importance to all castes, communities and religions.

Congress leaders R V Deshpande, Dhruvanarayana, Shivananda Patil, A M Hindasgeri, Veeranna Matthikatti, Prasad Abbayya, Kusuma Shivalli, Anil Kumar Patil and Althaf Allur were present.