Bengaluru: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said five ‘guarantees’ promised by the party ahead of elections in Karnataka would be implemented within hours of the first cabinet meeting. He also said that the people of Karnataka defeated the ‘hate and corruption’ of the BJP in the assembly elections.
“I had said that we do not make false promises. We do what we say. The first cabinet meeting of the new government will take place in one to two hours. In that meeting, all the five ‘guarantees’ will become law.” Gandhi said after the swearing-in ceremony of Siddaramaiah as chief minister. These guarantees are: 200 units of free electricity to all households (Griha Jyoti), Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the female head of every household (Griha Lakshmi), 10 kg free rice to each member of the BPL family (Anna Bhagya), unemployed graduate youth Rs 3,000 per month for unemployed and unemployed diploma holders (both in the 18-25 age group) for two years (Yuvanidhi) and Rs 1,500 for free travel for women in public transport buses (Shakti).
Political observers said the promise of ‘guarantees’ resonated with people, especially women, during the election campaign and played a key role in the Congress’ resounding victory in the assembly elections. Gandhi also said that the Congress won the election because it had “truth and the support of poor people” while the BJP had “money, power and police”.
Gandhi said, “However, the people defeated the BJP, their corruption and hatred in the elections. As we said in our padayatra, love won and hatred lost.” He also thanked the people of Karnataka for their wholehearted support to the Congress.
“We understand the pain you have gone through in the last five years. The media wrote why the Congress won the election. Various analyzes and various theories were floating. However, the reason for the victory was that the Congress was the poor, the weaker sections and the backward. stood with the communities, Dalits and Adivasis,” he said.
In the assembly elections held on 10 May, the Congress ousted the BJP from power by winning 135 seats in the 224-member assembly. The BJP got 66 seats and the Janata Dal (Secular) led by former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda could win only 19.











