Ahead of assembly elections, the Karnataka Congress Party on Friday released a ‘corruption rate card’ depicting various ‘scandals’ of the ruling BJP government in the state, including the “40 percent commission’ charge by state contractors.
While releasing the corruption rate card in both English and Kannada, Karnataka Congress party leaders alleged that the ruling BJP government in the state has “looted” Rs 1,50,000 crore in the last four years. “The cost for the CM post is Rs 2,500 crore, while the cost of a ministerial berth is Rs 500 crore,” Congress said in its ‘Corruption Rate Card.
“40 percent of Sarkar has looted over Rs 1,50,000 crore from the people of Karnataka in the last 4 years,” it alleged.
The rate card with a specific mention of commission read, “The government demands different deals. It begins with 30 percent commission for the mutt grants, 40 percent for road contracts, and goes up to 75 percent for the Covid-19 supplies.”
Karnataka Congress also took a jibe at the BJP’s claim about a ‘double-engine government’ in the state and instead called it a “trouble-engine government”.
The Congress also called the outgoing BJP government in Karnataka “corrupt” and accused it of having “sold governance” in the southern state.
The Congress released a set of posters listing out the “corruption rates” in the state between 2019 and 2023 while dubbing the BJP government a “trouble engine”.
Posting a photo of the “corruption rates” poster released by the Congress, the party’s general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh tweeted, “The rate at which BJP has sold governance in Karnataka. This is the BJP double engine of ‘DelhiJhoot’ and ‘BengaluruLoot’.” Congress general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Surjewala tweeted, “The Digit ’40’ is ingrained in BJP! The 40 km roadshow in Bengaluru by prime minister today seems to depict the symbolism of 40 percent BJP Sarkara! As Manipur burns, PM is busy electioneering. Is this the way PM follows Raj Dharma?” The Congress is seeking to wrest power from the BJP in Karnataka, the only state in southern India where the saffron party is in power.
Both Congress and BJP have geared up for the upcoming elections. There are words of war between the parties over several issues, including Hindu Lord Hanuman taking centre stage in poll-bound states after the grand old party released its manifesto, which talked of a ban on organisations like Bajrang Dal and the Popular Front of India.
