BJP has looted Karnataka: Rahul Gandhi

SINDHANOOR: As the Congress-led UPA government came under withering attack from BJP in Delhi, its Vice-President Rahul Gandhi went on the offensive with a titfor-tat attack on BJP's five-year reign in Karnataka, accusing it of "looting" the state. Addressing a rally here, Gandhi, who is in the state as part of the Congress' election campaign, said the only thing BJP remembered was how to loot public money in the state. "They have done it, they are past masters at it," he said.

The five-year reign of BJP, which came to power in the state promising good governance, has been defined by corruption and severe infighting. Its election victory in 2008 was the first instance of the party forming a government in south India, but it is widely expected by political analysts to do badly in the upcoming assembly elections on May 5. Gandhi, one of the star campaigners of Congress, also declared BJP would lose badly.

Adopting an interactive style of oratory, he asked the crowd a series of questions on whether any of the promises made by the BJP government in 2008 had been fulfilled. The crowd, predictably, responded with a "no". "BJP will lose here. We can hear it in Delhi," he said.

He said: "Last time you made BJP victorious, you trusted them. They promised you 24-hour power supply, did you get it? They promised you employment, did you get it? They forgot employment, power."

His campaign speeches - he addressed three rallies in total - were peppered by repeated references to the Reddy brothers of Bellary, the mining barons who belong to BJP and have become the face of illegal mining in the state and have been booked for corruption.

Gandhi said BJP had given Vidhan Sabha seats to the two brothers - Janardhana Reddy and Karunakara Reddy - who are facing corruption cases. Gandhi, who was speaking not far from Bellary where he cancelled his meeting, said: "Your iron ore is being sold to China and they are earning crores of rupees. But this (resource) is yours. Steel factories should be established here."