End '5 guarantees' if people don’t vote for us in LS polls: Karnataka Congress MLA

An MLA in the ruling Congress on Wednesday (January 31) said the Karnataka government should end its “five guarantees” scheme if the party doesn’t win most of the Lok Sabha seats in elections this year.

HC Balakrishna made the suggestion publicly after meeting chief minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar. The remark led to a mini storm in the state.

Tempe or welfare?

Balakrishna said the government's public welfare measures called “guarantee programmes” must be halted in case the Congress fails to win maximum number of seats in the coming Lok Sabha elections as it would mean that people have rejected the schemes.

Addressing a gathering in his constituency near Bengaluru, he said: "We are all Hindus, we too have respect for the construction of the temple, but our argument is that seeking votes in the name of temple is not right.

MLA’s lament

"In this situation, if people vote (in BJP's favour) for construction of the temple... I told our chief minister and the deputy chief minister that -- let's continue the guarantee schemes if people make us (Congress) win a majority of the seats in the (parliamentary) elections. If not, it can be assumed that the people have rejected the guarantees," he said.

"Despite doing all this, if people don't vote for us and reject us, what should we decide? There is no value to these guarantees, but there is value for ‘akshate’,” he said, referring to the turmeric-laced rice Hindu activists distributed after the Ayodhya temple was consecrated.

Development works

“So, we will cancel guarantees and we also will build a temple, worship there, give ‘akshate’ and get the votes." "Tell me what to do? Whether you want guarantees or ‘akshate’? It has to be decided.

“I have told the chief minister that because of his government's programmes, people should make the Congress win and elect MPs from our party. If not, it will be understood that people don't want your guarantees, we will take that money and do development works," he added.

Shivakumar’s promise

The opposition BJP hit out at the MLA while deputy chief minister Shivakumar promised that the guarantee schemes will be continued for five years.

The Congress government’s guarantee schemes are — 200 units of free power to all households, Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to woman head of every family, payment of cash in lieu of the additional 5 kg of rice to every member of a BPL household, Rs 3,000 a month for graduate youth and Rs 1,500 for diploma holders, and free travel for women in public transport buses.

BJP criticism

Shivakumar said no guarantee scheme will be stopped in Karnataka and they will continue for five years.

BJP state president BY Vijayendra said Balakrishna’s remarks show the Congress leaders have accepted defeat even before the Lok Sabha elections have been are announced.

"It is nothing but blackmail... the Congress should be ashamed," he said. Other BJP leaders in Karnataka too spoke on similar lines.

(With agency inputs)