Congress intensifies PayCM campaign, plans to take it all over Karnataka

The opposition Congress in Karnataka has intensified its ‘PayCM’ campaign against the ruling BJP by pasting posters at the BJP and government offices. The party has said it will also conduct a state-level ‘PayCM’ campaign on Saturday.

Meanwhile, on Friday, the State legislative assembly was adjourned sine die after JD(S) started a protest seeking resignation and investigation into the charges of quid pro quo concerning the BMS educational trust. This prevented Congress from raising the ‘40 per cent commission’ issue. Siddaramaiah later said that it was ‘match-fixing’ between BJP and JD(S) to avoid the debate on the ’40 per cent commission’ issue.

Also read: Five held for planting ‘PayCM’ posters; Cong MLAs to stick posters next

While the ’40 per cent commission’ issue is embarrassing the ruling BJP government in the state, the Congress has continued the campaign aggressively.

Cong puts PayCM posters

After the Assembly was adjourned, Congress leaders, including Siddaramaiah and BK Hariprasad, KPCC chief DK Shivakumar and AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, put PayCM stickers at the Race Course Road compound wall and other places. Priyank Kharge, MLA and KPCC spokesperson, pasted posters on police jeep and vans. The police, however, stripped them off.

Siddaramaiah, while speaking to the media, announced that his party would conduct a poster campaign in the entire state on Saturday and will continue to do so. Party workers at the district level have been putting the posters in various places, including government offices and even at the local BJP offices.

In Bengaluru, posters were seen on vehicles, mainly on the auto-rickshaws. Though posters on the auto-rickshaws did not have the image of CM Basavaraja Bommaiand the PayCM caption, the QR code was there along with slogans like ‘Raise voice against corruption’ and ‘40 per cent commission government’.

All these posters also printed the toll-free phone number to register complaints against the government.

QR code

The QR code on the posters was not just a design element — if someone enters the QR code, it takes one to a website called ‘www.40percentsarkara.com’ and shows the images of alleged scams in the Bommai government like the PSI scam, road scam, bitcoin scam, etc. Also, there is an option for the people to ‘raise their voices against corruption’ and the figure on its counter has reached 1.39 lakh and is increasing.

Also read: After Siddaramaiah, Yediyurappa visits ailing Deve Gowda; CM Bommai next

The term ‘40 per cent’ came into currency after Karnataka State Contractors Association (KSCA) president D Kempanna alleged about the commission to be paid to the government for getting projects.