People have understood the reality of the BJP, claims Siddaramaiah

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who campaigned for the party candidate for the second day in Davangere South Assembly Constituency on Thursday claimed that the people have understood the reality of the BJP which, according to him, has not taken up any development work and that is why the Congress received overwhelming support from voters in Davangere.

Speaking to presspersons at the helipad in Davangere, Mr. Siddaramaiah claimed that the people have now realised that the BJP when in power only looted the State without doing any development work.

“On the other hand, despite the canards being spread by the BJP that the guarantee schemes will be stopped, the Congress government effectively implemented them and continues to roll out benefits to beneficiaries. So far, ₹1,31,000 crore have been spent for the purpose,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that the State’s borrowings are within the fiscal responsibility cap of 25% of the GDP and fiscal deficit stood at 2.95%. As the State has not received its rightful share of grants from the Union government, it has not been possible to achieve revenue surplus, he claimed.

Mr. Siddaramaiah said that ahead of Bihar polls, GST rates were reduced causing losses to the tune of ₹1,000 crore to the State. As the Centre “failed” to give the requisite GST compensation and special grants, revenue surplus could not be achieved. BJP State President B.Y. Vijayendra is making false accusations and demanding White Paper on the State financial condition without actually verifying all these factors, he said.

On the former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s demand for disclosing documents on the State’s borrowings, he said that all the financial details have been clearly mentioned in the State Budget. And, during the BJP’s rule, the State borrowed ₹5,30,000 crore, he said and clarified that there is no scope for corruption in implementing the guarantee schemes.

On the pending bills of contractors, he said that during the BJP rule, there was ₹29,000 crore of unpaid bills of contractors of which ₹24,000 crore has been paid and these details have been given in a written reply during the Budget Session, he said.

Replying to a query, he said that the State government is committed to implementing internal reservation. The BJP has always been pro rich, while the Congress is distributing benefits under guarantee schemes to all the needy, including those voters supporting the BJP, he said.

To another query, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that a total of 56,432 posts will be filled during the year and it will be done in a phased manner.

Brisk campaign

On Thursday, the Chief Minister was engaged in brisk campaigning across various places of the Assembly segment. He visited Virabhadreshwar Swami and Durga Parameshwari Temple at Halepet and Hazrat Khadak Sha wali Darga at Shivaji Nagar in Davangere.

He was accompanied by Ministers Eshwar Khandre, S.S. Mallikarjun, MLC Govindraju and others.

The Chief Minister held a roadshow at RMC Link Road, Hagedibba Circle, Hondada Circle and other places and made an appeal on behalf of Congress candidate Samarth Shamanuru Mallikarjun.