Karnataka Elections 2023: Congress Releases Poll Manifesto, Promises Free Power, Ban On Bajrang Dal

The manifesto was released in the presence of party president Mallikarjun Kharge, former Karnataka CM and LoP Siddaramaiah, party state president DK Shivakumar and other leaders.

File photo of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge

Source : PTI

Congress on Tuesday released its party's poll manifesto for the May 10 Karnataka elections. The manifesto was released in the presence of party president Mallikarjun Kharge, former Karnataka CM and LoP Siddaramaiah, party state president DK Shivakumar and other leaders.

 

Among the poll promises include 200 units of free electricity and Rs 2,000 every month to each and every woman head of the family.

 

The party also promised to provide allowances for unemployed youths, free travel for women in regular KSRTC/BMTC buses, development of SCs and STs, and a ban on Bajrang Dal and PFI.

Speaking about the poll manifesto, state Congress chief DK Shivakumar said, “It will help us gain majority as it is people-centric. It will brand Karnataka as global Karnataka. We will try to ease the traffic in Bengaluru and ensure employment opportunities in 2 and 3 tier cities.”

The 224-member Karnataka Assembly will undergo polls on May 10 and the votes will be counted on May 13. A total of 3,632 candidates are in the fray with 707 from incumbent BJP and 651 from Congress while 1,720 candidates will contest as Independent. 

According to the ABP-CVoter Opinion Poll, Congress seems ahead in the race to form the next government in Karnataka with a projected seat range between 107 to 119 while BJP is expected to get seats somewhere between 74 and 86 and JDS between 23 and 35 seats. 

At around 40 per cent, Congress is expected to bag the most vote percentage with BJP following at 40 per cent and JD(S) at 17 per cent, and others at 8 per cent. 

While the Congress is yet to announce its CM candidate, according to ABP-Cvoter Karnataka Opinion Poll, Siddaramaiah is leading as the most preferred CM candidate with 41 per cent of respondents voting in his favour followed by Basavaraj Bommai with 31 per cent. JDS’s HD Kumaraswamy is at number three at 22 per cent, followed by Congress leader DK Shivakumar at 3 per cent and others also at 3 per cent.