BENGALURU: Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday was projected by the Maharashtra Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) as the man behind the stupendous victory of the party in Karnataka, that could turn the tide for the opposition parties at the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the subsequent Maharashtra state elections.
Invited as the chief guest on the 298th Ahilya Devi Holkar, considered one of the more prominent faces of the Dhangar caste in Maharashtra or known as the Kuruba community in Karnataka, Siddaramaiah was lauded by NCP general secretary and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule as the one who has created a watershed moment in giving the opposition the confidence to defeat the BJP.
"We are really proud of the way you fought this battle (elections), and after Karnataka, it has changed the opinion and I think it has given us much more confidence that if Karnataka can then Maharashtra and the entire of India can do it (defeat BJP). So you have really been the game changer (Siddaramaiah)," said Sule.
Reciprocating the confidence, Siddaramaiah during his speech said that he was confident that the Congress-NCP will win the next state elections.
"I urge Sharad Pawar to ensure that he emulates Karnataka in bringing the Free Bus Scheme (Shakthi) and Rs 2,000 per month for woman heads of the families (Gruha Lakshmi) to ensure that women are empowered", the Karnatala CM said.
Earlier in Sangli, where a considerable number of Kannada speaking population have settled, CM Siddaramaiah urged a show of unity in the Maharashtra Congress to mount a serious challenge against the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in the state and the BJP at the center during the 2024 Maharashtra assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
"Remember this, as Congressmen and women we had fought for independence which was achieved in 1947. Today, once again, we have to fight for independence from the clutches of a communal and corrupt BJP," said Siddaramaiah at a Maharashtra pradesh Congress committee event.
Siddaramaiah chided the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government and said they too are "supposedly" corrupt and need to be rooted out of Maharashtra.
"In Karnataka the people decided to root out the BJP and bring back the Congress on account of our-- mine and DK Shivakumar-- efforts to reach out to every village in our state and convince people of the 40 per cent commission government. I hear that even the Fadnavis-Shinde government is equally corrupt in Maharashtra and needs to be shown the door," he said.
Siddaramaiah recalled that the Karnataka BJP became lax and believed that people will vote for the party as soon as prime minister Narenda Modi comes to the state.
"How wrong were they? In fact, in every place where PM Modi held a rally or roadshow the Congress has won. What does it suggest? It suggests that the Modi magic is slowly but surely fading," said Siddaramaiah.
Will consider Tubachi-Bableshwar water for Maharashtra district: Siddaramaiah
Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday, at the Maharashtra Congress event said that Karnataka will try to supply water from the Tubachi-Babaleshwar lift irrigation project for Jath and surrounding areas in the border district of Sangli in Maharashtra.
Pointing at scores of placard holding farmers who were demanding water from Karnataka, Siddaramaiah said: “I assure you that we will make all possible efforts to supply water across the state in Maharashtra and speak with the government here
