‘I Appeal People of Karnataka to Vote for Congress with Absolute Majority’ – Chidambaram
Mangaluru: “I am here today to appeal to the people of Karnataka to vote for the Congress candidates, give the Congress party a clear and absolute majority, and elect a stable government that will steer Karnataka forward on the path of sustained development”, said the Former Union Minister P Chidambaram in a press meet held at the DCC office here on May 9.
Addressing the mediapersons Chidambaram said, “This is an election to a state legislature. Yet, the importance of the election to the whole country is obvious to everyone. The hopes and aspirations of the people of the country are riding on the voters of Karnataka. I believe that the concerns of every Indian will be reflected and expressed through the votes of the people of Karnataka.”
“I do not wish to burden this opening statement with too many numbers, but since numbers tell the story better than words, let me share with you a few points.
Firstly, during the period 2013-2018, Karnataka’s Gross State Domestic Product, at constant prices, has increased from Rs 6,43,292 crore (in 2012-13) to Rs 9,49,111 crore (in 2017-18). Thus, real GSDP growth was over 8 percent a year.
Secondly, the average resident of Karnataka is richer today than he was five years ago. Per capita income, in current prices, has jumped from Rs 77,309 to Rs 1,74,551. This is a growth of 125 percent compared to the All-India growth of 59 percent.
Thirdly, unemployment in Karnataka is among the lowest for all the states. In April 2018, it was 2.6 percent. For All-India, the number was 5.9 percent”.
“Fourthly, Karnataka has an enviable macroeconomic record. In the five years of Congress government, the average Fiscal Deficit was 2.26 percent. On the revenue account, the average surplus (I repeat, surplus, not deficit) was 0.08 percent”.
“Fifthly, development and welfare have gone hand-in-hand. While the GSDP grew by an average of 8 percent a year, social sector expenditure has consistently been over 40 percent of total expenditure. The benefits of such targeted expenditure are visible”.
“All these and more have been possible because the State has had a stable government under one Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah. I am told that he is the first Chief Minister to complete the term of five years after another Congress Chief Minister, the legendary Devaraj Urs”, Chidambaram said.
No one has forgotten the sad spectacle of 2008- 2013. The people of Karnataka gave 110 seats to the BJP, and what did the people get in return? They got a weak and unstable government and three Chief Ministers in those five years! It was perhaps the worst government in the history of Karnataka. It is the same incompetent men and women who are leading the BJP’s campaign in this election and asking for your votes!
The challenge before the next government of Karnataka is two-fold. The first challenge is to maintain the momentum of development that has been achieved in the last five years. The second challenge is to boldly confront the design of the RSS-BJP dispensation to wreck the federal system, weaken the States, and impose their pernicious agenda of one history, one culture, one religion, one language, and one code of behaviour.
“You are familiar with the designs of the RSS-BJP dispensation. I wish to dwell on one particularly mischievous design. While appointing the XV Finance Commission and drawing up the Terms of Reference, the Modi government has distorted and violated the Constitutional provisions. The ToR is biased against the States that have been better governed in the past and are relatively more developed, and that includes the Southern States. If the Terms of Reference are followed by the XV Finance Commission, the share of funds of the affected States will be sharply reduced; revenue deficit grants will be stopped altogether, and States will be denied the freedom to devise their own social welfare programmes. The ToR of the XV Finance Commission is another grave misadventure after (1) demonetization and (2) a flawed and hastily-implemented GST. The misadventure will destroy India’s federal system and, therefore, it must be stopped here and now. There can be no better time and place to stop the misadventure than Karnataka in the year 2018. There can be no better force to stop the misadventure than the people of Karnataka”.
“In conclusion, I appeal to the electorate of Karnataka to vote clearly in favour of the Congress, entrust to the Congress and Siddaramaiah the development of the State and the welfare of the people, and help preserve the federal structure of our Constitution”.
National media penalist Jaiveer Shergill, U B Venkatesh, DCC President Harish Kumar and others were also present.
