Siddaramaiah says Karnataka is No1 in investments

Taking a dig at those who prefer the ‘Gujarat Model,’ of development in states, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that Karnataka is number one in terms of investment.

“From the 13th position in 2013-14 in investment, Karnataka was ranked number one in 2016-17 and 2017-18,” he claimed.

Addressing a packed house at the release of Congress poll manifesto at T M A Pai Auditorium here on Friday, the CM sought to know if anybody would have invested in Karnataka if the law and order in the state had been poor. “It is common sense,” he ridiculed and added that the murders, rapes and dacoities reported during the Congress rule were far lesser than BJP’s.

Referring to allegations that 23 BJP activists had been murdered in the last five years, the CM said that only 12 out of 23 had some association with the BJP. Eleven others were common people. “Spreading false propaganda and politicising murders is done only by inhuman people,” he said.

Noting that the BJP could win only 4 seats out of 19 seats in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada (8), Udupi (5) and Uttara Kannada (6), he said that the Congress had won 13 out of 19 seats (while two were won by the Independents).

Thanking the audience for bringing Congress to power in the last elections, he said that he is hopeful that this time too, the people of coastal region will not let down the Congress party and will help win more seats than last time.

Referring to Basavanna’s saying “Nudidanthe Nade” (Do as you say), Siddaramaiah said that the Congress had performed as promised five years ago and would continue to do so.

He also said that every time he prepared the budget in the last six years, he had referred to the manifesto. “I am proud that 99% of the assurances out of a total of 165 have been implemented,” he said to the cheering crowd.

Stating that usually, there is an anti-incumbency sentiment during elections, Siddaramaiah said that there is no anti-incumbency feeling among the people of the state this time.

Referring to the program to render 159 APMCs out of 165 APMCs in state going online, he said that the Union Agriculture Minister had borrowed his idea for inclusion in the Union budget and replication all over the country.

AICC President Rahul Gandhi, KPCC President Dr G Parameshwara and AICC General Secretary K Venugopal were present.