The Karnataka Congress made its first election promise with Congress chief DK Shivakumar announcing 200 units of free electricity to every household if they came to power. Speaking at the Prajadhwani Yatra meeting in Chikkodi in Belagavi district on Wednesday, January 11, he said that under the Gruha Jyothi Yojana, every home in Karnataka will receive 200 free electricity units each month if the Congress were to come to power in 2023. He asserted that Karnataka must have a government that cares about the well-being of the people in light of the growing costs of basic necessities and rising unemployment.
“The INC government in Karnataka will supply 200 units of power, free of charge, to every home in Karnataka to aid Kannadigas in fending against the assault of price rise and save up for necessities such as food, education for children and healthcare,” Shivakumar said. He also accused the BJP of mismanaging the COVID-19 pandemic and for a sharp increase in the cost of necessities. Additionally, he said that the BJP administration was responsible for an increase in farmer suicides, school dropouts, and unemployment.
Ahead of the Assembly elections in Karnataka, the state Congress unit on January 10, announced its campaign tour titled ‘Prajadhwani’ yatra which began on January 11. The Congress also released a ‘Paapada Purana’ (saga of sins) or chargesheet on the BJP government. The party launched a website named prajadhwani.com, asking people to share their aspirations to formulate the party’s manifesto.
Along with the promise of 200 units of free electricity, Congress also promised Rs 5,000 crore in budget allocation and filling of all vacant positions in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region in the first nine months. The party also promised to allocate Rs 2 lakh crore for all pending irrigation projects along with finishing the third phase of the Upper Krishna Lift Irrigation project. It has promised the implementation of the Sadashiva Committee report on internal reservation for the Scheduled Caste category and two acres of dry land to every landless SC/ST family.