Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivakumar says state government has fulfilled all five guarantees

New Delhi [India], March 26 (ANI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minster D K Shivakumar has claimed that the state government is fulfilling all five guarantees or pre-poll promises, around which Congress had structured its campaign ahead of state assembly polls in 2023.
In an interview with ANI, Shivakumar further alleged that BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have also started copying the Congress and making similar promises after witnessing the successful implementation of all five guarantees by the Karnataka government.
The deputy CM also recalled how, ahead of assembly polls, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi made him and current Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sign a guarantee cheque as a commitment to fulfilling the promises being made by the party.
"What we have promised we have delivered. Ahead of election Priyanka Gandhi came to Bengaluru and asked me and Chief Minister to sign a guarantee cheque ahead of announcing Gruha Lakshmi Scheme of Rs 2000, we both signed and gave the check to every house and convinced the people that we would deliver," said Shivakumar.
"Today I am sitting before you and ahead of going to this parliamentary poll, we have kept all our five guarantees which will cost us between 52 to 56 thousand crore. We had also marked this in our budget, no other state could have done this. We have to do this because price rise is killing everyone and no common man can live," he added.
Further accusing the BJP of not fulfilling its promises Shivakumar alleged that, "The centre has promised that they are going to double the income, give 15 lakhs to every account. Farmer's income will be doubled but nothing has been done only false promises were made."
"However, we have decided that whatever we say or guarantee, we will have to deliver with a bold heart and strong commitment, because we want to change the lives of people. We have given almost 5,000 rupees to every family. Gas prices used to be 400 rupees to 440, which has gone up to 1,000 plus so we are trying to help people. Prices of all essential commodities have gone very high. So we thought that we should help a lady because women are a larger section of society that takes care of the family at difficult times," said Shivakumar.
Further listing down the promises that are being fulfilled by the government, Shivakumar said, "Women can travel wherever they want as bus services in the entire state are free for them. Power is free up to 200 units, a woman can save 1,000 rupees to 1,500 rupees there as well. Youth who haven't had a job for the last two years, can work and earn 3,000 rupees. We provided 10 kilos of rice."
Notably, the five guarantees included free bus travel for women, up to 200 units of electricity free for every household, 10 kg rice supplies to low-income families every month, Rs 2000 to every woman head of the family in low-income households, and a monthly stipend to recent graduates and diploma holders who were unemployed.
"Whatever we have promised, we have delivered. I have made a survey and 76 per cent of the people are very happy that whatever we have said, whatever we have signed, we have delivered and we have kept financial stability in the budget as well and it will go on," said Shivakumar asserting his government's commitment to fulfilling promises.
When asked about Congress leader HC Balakrishna saying that five guarantees would be cancelled if people did not vote for Congress in the Lok Sabha election said that it was the BJP that did not want the promises implemented.
"He is my MLA in my district. See, BJP doesn't want guarantees to be implemented, Modi ji has said that if these guarantees are implemented, the state economy will collapse and all BJP leaders are also saying the same. But now, after looking at the success story of that, PM Modi has started talking about 'Modi ki guarantee'," the deputy CM said.
"Now he has also accepted after we made a success story, and started making similar announcements in different parts of the country. They did it in Madhya Pradesh and gave some amount to women's. BJP is copying Congress party," he added.
The Congress party has emerged victorious in the Karnataka elections, bagging 135 seats in the 224-member Assembly in the May 10, 2023 polls. (ANI)