Karnataka polls: Will ensure Congress gets at least 150 seats or BJP will buy MLAs, says Rahul Gandhi

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Monday said he would ensure his party gets 150 seats in the upcoming assembly elections in Karnataka or else the ruling "BJP will buy MLAs". Gandhi, who is on a two-day visit to the southern state, began his campaign from Kolar, where he made the same claim.

"We have to win the election with 150 seats because the BJP is a corrupt organisation. The BJP has a huge amount of money that they have stolen from the people of Karnataka and they will attempt to steal the next government as well," Gandhi said while addressing a rally in Kolar on Sunday.

Today, the Congress leader addressed a rally in Bidar district where he made the same appeal to people to give a majority to Congress. Karnataka will go to the polls on May 10 and the results will be announced on May 13.

Gandhi said if Congress comes to power, the government will take a decision on fulfilling all the poll promises in the first Cabinet meeting. The grand old party, which ruled the state from 2013 to 2018, has promised Rs 2,000 to every woman, up to 200 units of free electricity, 10kg of rice for every household and Rs 3,000 for graduates, and Rs 2,000 for diploma holders every month for a period of three years if it forms the government in Karnataka.

The Congress leader slammed the state government saying it was indulged in massive corruption and people referred to it as "40 per cent Commission Government". "You know the BJP very well in Karnataka. I didn't coin the slogan of "40 per cent Commission Govt", it was coined by you - the people of Karnataka. But before speaking on BJP, I want to tell you what Congress government will do in Karnataka, after winning the election," he said.

Earlier in the day, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai hit back at Rahul Gandhi on "40 per cent Commission sarkar" jibe at his government, saying the Congress leader was yet to respond to his "corruption chargesheet." Bommai also dismissed Gandhi's claim on Sunday that his party would be voted to power in Karnataka.

"Does he know any ground reality here (Karnataka)", he asked. The Chief Minister said he had sent a "charge sheet" to Gandhi during his 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' on the "scams" during the previous Congress government but he was yet to get a reply.

On Sunday, Gandhi said there was a strong undercurrent in favour of Congress in Karnataka but pressed on his leaders to ensure that the party wins at least 150 seats so that the next government is not "stolen" by a corrupt BJP. He lashed out at the Basavaraj Bommai-led dispensation and said everybody knew the state government in Karnataka was one of the most corrupt in the country.

"The tag '40 per cent Sarkar' has stuck. Everybody understands that the BJP in Karnataka is a symbol of corruption," Gandhi said pointing out that the people of Karnataka are keen to teach a lesson to the '40 per cent Sarkar'.