Seven populist measures announced by Congress, as a part of its election manifesto, has heated the Assembly poll atmosphere in Karnataka. Congress, in offering elections promises, seems to have followed the footprints of its ally, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu, which garnered votes through its glamorous offers during the 2006 Assembly elections.
Like DMK, Congress has also promised to offer a free colour television per family categorised under below poverty line (BPL) in Karnataka.
Other promises include 25-kg rice per BPL family that holds a green card, houses for 15 lakh homeless families in five years, loans at 3% interest for farmers, women self-help groups, potters, handloom weavers, fishermen and shepherds and waiver of loans and dues of Ashraya and Indra Awas Yojana schemes. In addition, the party?s state unit has also guaranteed extension of the Yeshaswini health insurance coverage to all green card holder families and Rs 1,200 stipend for unemployed youth who have cleared Class X and are ready for skill training.
The Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (Secular) are not far behind. The two major parties are working their own way to counter the Congress. BJP, which announced its first list of candidates ahead of other parties, has fielded heavy-weights including those who have jumped across from Congress and JD(S). BJP, the single largest party with 79 seats in the dissolved Karnataka Assembly, believes it can get a majority as it is riding high on the sympathy for BS Yeddiyurappa, who was not allowed to continue as chief minister by JD(S). The party is expected to forge an alliance with JD(U) for the poll this month.
On other hand, JD(S) chief HD Deve Gowda seems to have made different poll calculations. Political circles close to Gowda say the JD(S), which had partnered in coalition governments with both Congress and BJP during last term with 54 MLAs, is expecting another fractured verdict. As a result, it expects to play a significant role in government formation.
However, all major parties are watching Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which is expected to make strong inroads into Karnataka politics. BSP, which has decided to go it alone in the Assembly polls, has decided to field candidates in all 224 constituencies. The party had failed to win a single seat in the last Assembly elections but had tilted results in several constituencies. It had garnered sizeable Dalit votes, resulting in the defeat of Congress candidates in more than 20 constituencies. However, BSP won some seats in the recent urban local bodies elections. Moreover, as in Uttar Pradesh, the BSP this time is working for a Dalit-Brahmin combination in Karnataka. The party is expected to field around 20 Brahmin candidates and non-Dalit candidates in 75% of the constituencies.