Ram temple inauguration does not give BJP an edge in LS polls: Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday observed that the inauguration of Ram Temple at disputed structure at Ayodhya scheduled on January 22, 2024, at the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not give Bharatiya Janata Party an edge in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls of 2024.

In Mysuru, he told reporters that India is a country of “unity in diversity” having many castes and languages and the countrymen believe in “inclusiveness.” Continuing, he said, the country has stayed united despite onslaughts by Britishers and Mughals in the past and noted that “By the inauguration of Ram Temple, the minds of the people won’t change (towards BJP).”

Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for referring to his name during election campaigns in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, Siddaramaiah said that Modi is under fear by his name and his name has been referred to during the campaigns in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

He accused the Prime Minister of having dual standards and pointed out that Modi opposed 5-guarantees of the Congress party during the election campaign in Karnataka this year and now Modi has launched a vehicle “Vikasith Bharat” projecting 5-guarantees as “PM’s guarantees.”

The 5-guarantees announced and implemented by the Congress-ruled State Government in Karnataka include free travel for women in State-run buses, free power up to 200units every household, Rs 2,000 cash benefit scheme for the female head of a family and on the fifth guarantee, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said “Yuva Nidhi” scheme would be rolled out in January in 2024 to provide unemployment allowances for graduates and diploma holders of Karnataka.

He said Modi opposed 5-guarantees and now “What is he doing?” and stated that Ven other States have also announced guarantee schemes. Siddaramaiah exuded confidence that his Congress party would come to power in the States of poll-bound Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana.