Siddaramaiah campaigns for Samarth in Davangere

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday campaigned in favour of Congress candidate Samarth Shamanur Mallikarjun by holding roadshows and public meetings at various places in Davangere South Assembly Constituency.

Conducting roadshows at Naganur, Sharamgondnalli, Turchaghatta, Hadadi and other villages in the constituency, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that victory to Samarth Shamanur will further strengthen him.

Reacting to the BJP’s allegation about dynasty politics in the Congress, Mr. Siddaraiamaih sought to know whether the contests by the children of H.D. Deve Gowda, H.D. Kumaraswamy, B.S. Yediyurappa, Basavaraj Bommai are not dynasty politics.

Terming Samarth as a well-educated candidate having all the required qualities of a good politician, he said after the win, Samarth will work for the people as he has the qualities of a pro-people leader.

“Shamanur has contributed a great deal to the development of Davangere. In Davangere, ₹538 crore have been spent for guarantee schemes. Without the involvement of any middlemen, this money has directly gone to the people. BJP leaders have opposed giving this money. Is it wrong to give people’s money back to people?” he asked.

The Chief Minister pointed out that in 2018, the BJP gave 600 assurances out of which even 10% were not fulfilled. However, when the Congress came to power in 2013, it fulfilled 158 promises out of the total 165 promises made. In 2023 too, the Congress implemented all its five guarantee schemes, he said.

Mr. Siddaramaiah said that unlike the BJP, the Congress has taken along with it people of every caste and community even as benefits of the guarantee schemes are being availed of by people of all parties, castes and religions. “Ours is a peaceful farmland of all communities,” he said.

While the Congress treads on the path of Mahatma Gandhi, Ambedkar and Basavanna, the BJP follows the path of Godse, he claimed.

The Chief Minister said that the basic objective of the government is welfare and development of the lower strata of society. “We are running the government as per the ideology of Basavanna. Without middlemen’s involvement, we are putting money directly into the bank accounts of the poor,” he said.