Tumakuru (Karnataka), May 19 Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar on Tuesday asserted that the party would return to power in Karnataka in the 2028 Assembly elections, claiming that the party's guarantee schemes had transformed people's lives and become a model for the entire country.
Addressing the "Sarthaka Seveya Samarpane" convention organised in Tumakuru to mark three years of the Congress government in the state, Shivakumar said people had reposed faith in the Congress by electing 136 MLAs and that the state government had honoured its promises.
"Congress will once again come to power in Karnataka in 2028. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and JD-S leaders should note this, and people should remember it too," he added.
Praising the state government's five guarantee schemes, Shivakumar claimed that even the BJP and other regional parties were now replicating the Congress welfare model in different states.
"Our (Karnataka government's) guarantee schemes have become a model for the entire country. Every political party is copying them today after initially criticising them," the Deputy Chief Minister said.
He also claimed that a study conducted by the Oxford University had praised Karnataka's guarantee schemes for bringing social change in the lives of poor people and described them as a global model.
Shivakumar said the guarantee schemes were introduced to support common people struggling with rising prices and declining incomes.
"Today, essential commodity prices are soaring while people's incomes are shrinking. We introduced guarantees to support ordinary citizens," he added.
Taking a jibe at Union Minister and JD-S leader H.D. Kumaraswamy, Shivakumar criticised his remarks against the state government's initiatives, including the conversion of B-Khata properties to A-Khata in Bengaluru.
"When he (H.D. Kumaraswamy as the Karnataka Chief Minister) was in power, he could not do much. Now, with just 17 legislators, repeatedly saying 'I will do this and that' will not change anything," the Deputy Chief Minister remarked.
Shivakumar also targeted the BJP-led Central government over rising fuel prices and inflation.
"Petrol prices are increasing continuously, the rupee is weakening, and people are struggling with rising costs. BJP leaders are silent on these issues," he alleged.
Shivakumar said the Congress-led state government had implemented major welfare and development initiatives, including the Shakti free bus travel scheme for women and land ownership guarantee programmes under the leadership of Revenue Minister Krishna
He also added that the state government was committed to developing Tumakuru as a "second Bengaluru" to help manage population pressure on the state capital.
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