Haveri: Chief minister Siddaramaiah criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for wearing a woollen blanket (gongadi) at an election rally in Bagalkot last week (April 29), accusing the PM of playing the caste card, a ploy which he said will not work.
The gongadi is traditionally worn by Kurubas, the shepherd community, to which the CM belongs. Siddaramaiah said Modi had not “moral right” to wear the blanket because BJP had not given a ticket to any member of the Kuruba community for the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
He said the saffron party even overlooked KE Kantesh, the son of deputy CM KS Eshwarappa, a Kuruba. Siddaramaiah said: “PM Modi wore the ‘gongadi’ only for political gain, believing it would secure votes from Kurubas in this election. But the Kuruba community won’t cast their votes for BJP in this election, especially in Haveri,” Siddaramaiah said.
Kurubas constitute an estimated 7% of the state’s population but constitute a sizeable electorate in several seats.
Siddaramaiah also accused the previous BJP govt “of looting the state” during their tenure and said Basavaraj Bommai, the previous chief minister and BJP’s candidate for Haveri, did not contribute anything to Haveri or Gadag districts. “People shouldn’t vote for him in this parliamentary election,” Siddaramaiah said.
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