New Delhi: At a meeting of senior Karnataka Congress leaders Wednesday, party leader Rahul Gandhi advised that the state government should only give advertisements to media that is “favourable” to the Congress, ThePrint has learnt.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was also present at the meeting held in Delhi.
Rahul’s advice stems from the Congress’s long-standing grouse against the mainstream media, which, it believes, has been “captured” by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
During his Bharat Jodo Yatra that ended earlier this year, Rahul avoided speaking to the mainstream media and instead gave interviews to YouTubers and social media influencers.
At the meeting, Rahul also emphasised that the Congress-led government in Karnataka and party leaders must steer clear of graft charges, pointing out that they had come to power in the state earlier this year on an anti-corruption plank, said sources.
He further said that the five guarantees, which were part of the Congress’s manifesto, should be fulfilled in totality and nothing should put the same off track.
The Congress meeting Wednesday was the 13th conducted by the party in Delhi with different state units in preparation for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
A Karnataka Congress leader, who was at the meeting, said that Rahul and Kharge told the state unit to focus on poll preparations as well, and not just governance.
“We have to focus more on Parliament elections. We have to focus on the government, identify candidates, figure out a strategy and start working on the ground,” the leader told ThePrint.
“By every means necessary, we must try to get more seats in Karnataka. Generally, they were trying to remind us that there are Parliament elections. It’s easy to get caught in governance and forget about our party obligations,” the leader added.
Speaking to the press after the meeting, Congress general secretary in-charge for Karnataka, Randeep Surjewala, said that one senior leader and one minister will be made in-charge of each parliamentary constituency in Karnataka. The state has 28 Lok Sabha seats.
“Today, more than three dozen senior leaders of the Karnataka Congress had a meeting with Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge. While both of them congratulated the leaders on the thumping victory in Karnataka, an elaborate discussion was held on the preparations for the upcoming polls,” Surjewala said.
“The Karnataka model is the new model of serving the people of this country. The entire country will have to implement the Karnataka model of governance,” he added.
Over the next six-seven months, till the Lok Sabha polls, all organisational responsibility of the party in the assigned Lok Sabha constituency will be the responsibility of these two leaders, Surjewala explained.
Also Read: Siddaramaiah govt approves textbook changes, repeal of anti-conversion law, to ‘undo wrongs’ of BJP
‘Congress will win at least 20 Lok Sabha seats’
Of the five guarantees in its manifesto, the Congress government in Karnataka has been able to fulfill four so far — the Shakti scheme that allows women free bus travel; the Gruha Lakshmi scheme that gives Rs 2,000 to women heads of household; the Anna Bhagya scheme that promises 10 kg free rice to Below Poverty Line families; and the Gruha Jyothi scheme that offers 200 units of free electricity to every household.
While the Shakti scheme is already in effect, the government has rolled out cash payments in lieu of rice for the Anna Bhagya scheme. Registrations for the Gruha Lakshmi scheme have started while those for Gruha Jyothi will begin from Saturday.
The Yuva Nidhi scheme, which promises Rs 3,000 per month to unemployed graduates, is yet to be rolled out.
The government has said that those graduating this year will be given six months to find work, post which they will start receiving direct cash transfers.
Controversy has surrounded these initiatives since their inception, with the BJP alleging that the Congress’s schemes would put excess pressure on the state exchequer.
Surjewala announced to reporters Wednesday that the Gruha Jyothi scheme will start from Karnataka’s Kalaburagi city Saturday.
Congress workers have also been asked to go house-to-house to popularise the five schemes. Surjewala added that the party will win “at least 20” of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
Also Read: Karnataka govt to accept 2015 caste survey report. Why it could trigger political storm