Terming the BJP government in Karnataka as ‘40% commission government’, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah has called upon teachers to defeat the party candidate in the election to the Legislative Council to “teach a lesson to the party”.
Canvassing on behalf of Congress candidate Basavaraj Gurikar at JSS Education Institution in Dharwad on Wednesday, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the BJP government in the State had indulged in rampant corruption and it was well-known fact that in every work the BJP was getting 40% commission. “Such being the case, knowledgeable voters like teachers should teach the party a lesson,” he said.
He said BJP candidate and former Chairman of the Legislative Council Basavaraj Horatti used to lambast “communal BJP” earlier and had now joined the party for the sake of power, and appealed to teachers to give their first-preferential votes to the Congress candidate.
Mr. Gurikar alleged that Mr. Horatti had failed completely to solve the problems faced by teachers. He said he knew the problems of teachers as he was one among them for a few decades. Mr. Gurikar appealed to them to give him a chance to work for them.
Earlier, Mr. Siddaramaiah, accompanied by KPCC working president Saleem Ahmed, MLA Srinivas Mane, the former Chairman of the Legislative Council Viranna Mattikatti, the former MLA N.H. Konaraddi and others, met secretary of the Janata Shikshana Samiti (JSS) N. Vajrakumar and finance officer Ajit Prasad and appealed for votes.
The former Chief Minister subsequently visited Haveri district and addressed a campaign meeting.
