Karnataka polls: Congress to raise more state issues in campaigns

The party, however, will also raise national issues, like price rise, farm sector problems

The state Congress leaders have suggested to central leaders that assembly elections should be fought on state issues, instead of national issues to avoid Prime Minister Narendra Modi versus the party's former national president Rahul Gandhi scenario during the campaigning.

A senior Congress leader told DH that the Congress Central Election Committee meeting arrived at a broader understanding that state issues, like corruption including 40 per cent commission allegations, arrest of sitting BJP MLA Veerupakshappa Madal by Lokayukta, scams in PSI recruitment, communal hatred and collapse of infrastructure in Bengaluru, should be the main election issues in Karnataka.

The leader, however, said that the party will also raise national issues, like price rise, farm sector problems, increase in the prices of fertilizers and unemployment.

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"Though the leaders can raise Rahul Gandhi's disqualification and Hindenburg report on Adani group issues, our main poll plank will be targeting Bommai government misrule," he added.

"It is possible that the BJP is trying to make this poll campaign Modi versus Rahul to avoid local issues. But the Congress will be cautious so that the campaign momentum should not derail. Rahul Gandhi, at a rally in Kolar on April 10, will also raise corruption of the Bommai government also, he said.

He said they would request Priyanka Gandhi to participate actively in the campaign though the party has planned a series of Rahul Gandhi rallies. Congress national president Mallikarjuna Kharge and former chief minister Siddaramaiah will tour across the state extensively and hold road shows, he explained.

Small rallies are more effective and less expensive. The party will opt for roadshows and may limit the number of big rallies in the run-up to the elections, he explained.

When asked about the Congress poll campaign strategy, the party's Campaign Committee chairman M B Patil told DH, "With the BJP government facing strong anti-incumbency, our focus will be exposing the misrule of the government by raising issues, like corruption and scams."

“Our PayCM campaign was a huge success. Similarly, we will do several other campaigns," he said.

He also said, "We will tell voters about the injustice meted out by the BJP government to the Lingayat community in reservation and ill-treatment of to former chief minister B S Yediyurappa by removing him unceremoniously."