BENGALURU: After JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy allegedly said that women in rural areas have ‘lost their way’ because of the five guarantee schemes introduced by the Congress government, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state president Mukhyamantri Chandru said that the former CM should “immediately apologise” to the women of the state and maintain his “dignity.”
“Kumaraswamy should immediately apologise to the women of the state and maintain his dignity. It is not right for Kumaraswamy to justify his statement in different senses”, he said. Kumaraswamy made the statement on Saturday while campaigning for BJP Tumkur Lok Sabha candidate V Somanna at Turuvekere.
“Our words should inspire hundreds of people present. But it is not right to just talk about women in a politically manner when some districts are facing drought. What message does such behaviour convey to the people?” Chandru lamented that such a statement was not expected from the two-time chief minister of the state.
Five guarantee schemes, two of which were aimed at women, were launched in Karnataka in 2023 after the Congress assumed power in the state. Gruha Lakshmi which promises Rs 2,000 per month to women heads of the family and Shakti which provides free travel for women in state-run buses are the two.
The BJP’s alliance partner, Janata Dal (Secular), is contesting from Mandya under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) this time. JD(S) leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy filed his nomination from the Mandya constituency.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Sumalatha Ambareesh won as an independent, defeating JD (S) leader and HD Kumaraswamy’s son, Nikhil Kumaraswamy and another independent, ML Shashikumar from Mandya. In the 2014 general elections, JD (S) leader C S Puttaraju won the seat against Congress candidate Remya pulling off 43.95 per cent vote share.
Karnataka, which has 28 Lok Sabha seats, will vote in two phases on April 26 and May 7. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress and JD-S fought together against the BJP and the combine was decimated. The BJP had won a record 25 seats; Congress and JD-S won just one seat each.
The Lok Sabha elections 2024 will be held in seven phases, starting on April 19. The counting of votes is on June 4. (ANI)