The Congress President Rahul Gandhi derided the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the accusation of gifting the southern state “broke graft records” and numerous scams. Rahul Gandhi was there to attend a party rally in Hospet in Bellary. In his address to the mass gathered there, he said:
“While Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks about corruption, he forgets that it was the BJP government led by BS Yeddyurappa that broke records in corruption with a land scam, mining scam etc.”
The BJP led face- Yeddyurappa was the Chief Minister of the state from 2008 to 2011. This was Rahul’s 1st after being appointed as the party chief in December.
Gandhi’s election campaign
Gandhi chose to kick-start the party’s poll campaign from Bellary. For those who don’t know, Bellary is the same Lok Sabha constituency where former Congress President Sonia Gandhi and BJP leader Sushma Swaraj faced each other in an aggressive political battle called 1999 general elections. However, the latter lost.
Gandhi also met the beneficiaries of Article 371-J. This article gives people from the old Hyderabad-Karnataka region employment and seats for education on preference and priority.
Among those present at the rally were senior Congress leaders- Mallikarjun Kharge, state Congress chief G. Parameshwara, and Siddaramaiah.Rahul Gandhi interacted with thousands of people and party cadres from the north Karnataka region. He reminded them of his mother’s times by showing the special connection with Bellary.
Gandhi addressed hundreds of men, women and children from the district. On Sunday, Gandhi attended receptions at Kushtagi, Kankagiri and Gangavati, followed by a public meeting at Karatagi in Koppal district. He will be touring Raichur, Yadgir and Kalaburgi districts to interact with farmers, youths and students.