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Sonia Gandhi’s First Poll Rally in Two Years: An Attack on Modi’s Tactics

karnataka Election

karnataka Election


As Karnataka governmental elections draw closer, Sonia Gandhi decided to break her silence of two years and spoke out against the Modi government on Tuesday at a public rally. She addressed a gathering at Vijaypura in Northern Karnataka while PM Modi travelled across the state to three different rallies in one day, wrapping up at Bengaluru.

She accused Modi of practicing intolerance and discriminating against the Congress-ruled state of Karnataka. According to Gandhi, Modi is obsessed with the idea of a Congress-free India. Modi might be a good orator but speeches cannot fight hunger, Gandhi said. “If his oratory can fill hungry stomachs, he must speak more often,” she impressed.

In retaliation, spokesperson of the Modi brigade, S Prakash said that Gandhi had no right to talk about farmer distress as it hadn’t been addressed during UPA government’s 10-year rule. This came while Modi himself lashed back at three ministers under Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, namely irrigation minister MB Patil, medical education minister Sharan Prakash Patil, and mining minister Vinay Kulkarni. These ministers were at the forefront of the demand for a separate religion for Lingayats and have been blamed for taking the government’s attention away from the state’s drought, farm crisis, and mining mafia.

Sonia Gandhi criticized Modi in her speech failing the youth, the farmers, and the middle class. On the other hand, Modi made the newspapers for calling Congress out for practicing dynastic politics and “pitting brother against brother”, in context of the Lingayats.

The Lingayats have a demographic share of 16-17% in Karnataka and currently their tide of support seems to be flowing in favor of the Congress, even though the community has long identified itself with BJP. They are now caught in a cleft stick till the 12th of May, 2018.