PANJIM: The Goa government’s “paid holiday” decision for Karnataka voters residing in the State and arranging buses from them on the polling day benefitted the Congress, claimed the leaders of the grand old party in the State.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Amit Patkar said that though there was use of money power and pressure tactics, the people of Karnataka voted for democracy. The BJP tried to polarise voters in the name of religion and seek votes in the name of Lord Hanuman, but the people reposed faith in the Congress and on its positive narrative of five guarantees.
Patkar said that even veteran Congress member and Karnataka minister R V Deshpande was upset at the mobilisation of resources especially money in his constituency by Health Minister Vishwajit Rane.
“AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted on the polling day about the illicit money being transported and whether Rane booked six rooms in a resort at Dandeli, Karnataka,” Patkar mentioned, adding, “what does this imply?”
“Reality could be different, but people of Karnataka showed that votes cannot be bought,” said Congress Media Department chairman Amarnath Panjikar, when asked whether the BJP distributed money to the voters of Karnataka.
“People taught BJP lesson, they availed paid holiday used buses to go to their native place and exercised their franchise wisely. It is a good sign for democracy,” he said.
Goa Pradesh Mahila Congress president Beena Naik said that BJP did not succeed to woo voters from Karnataka despite spending lavishly on election campaign. They (electorate) knew what BJP is doing and gave mandate to the Congress. When Manipur was burning the BJP leaders we busy in election campaigning and went to any extent to grab power. The voters understood the reality; they were smart and used their brains.
Goa Pradesh Youth Congress president Joel Andrade said that he was in Karnataka for about a month campaigning for the party and saw the misuse of money and resources by the BJP to retain power. Corruption and inflation hit the BJP and people took their money and preferred the Congress.
