The Congress will fulfil all five promises made to the people of Karnataka before last week’s Assembly election, chief minister Siddaramaiah said Saturday afternoon hours after being sworn in to the top post.
The party vowed to provide 200 units of electricity to all households, ₹2,000 per month to female heads of families and 10kg of rice for every member of a BPL (below poverty line) household, as well as ₹1,500 per month for jobless diploma holders in the 18-25 age group and ₹3,000 monthly for similarly aged unemployed graduates.
“We will give an administration which people have expected from us. Five guarantees will be passed in the cabinet meeting and an order will be issued to implement them today itself,” Siddaramaiah said after becoming chief minister of Karnataka for a second time.
Other promises made in the manifesto will be implemented over the next five years, he said.
READ | Siddaramaiah’s thumbs-up after being sworn in as K’taka CM
“In the past we fulfilled what had promised and in (the) future too we will do the same.”
The Congress leader – who realises his post at the end of a week-long tense stand-off with colleague and state unit boss DK Shivakumar, who was persuaded to settle for the deputy chief minister post – also credited Rahul Gandhi and the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ for the win.
“The election campaign started with Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’. I also thank all the leaders who campaigned for Congress right from Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.”
READ | 8 MLAs are ministers in Karnataka’s new cabinet: All you need to know
Earlier today Siddarmaiah and Shivakumar were sworn in as chief minister and deputy chief minister before a crowd of thousands at Bengaluru’s Sree Kanteerava Stadium, with Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge in attendance.
Speaking after the ministers were sworn in, Rahul Gandhi declared the Congress ‘doesn’t make false promises’ and said: “… first Cabinet meeting will take place in an hour or two. All five promises will be passed. We walk the talk… committed to welfare of the middle-class.”
Eight other newly-elected Congress MLAs were sworn in as ministers, including Kharge’s son Priyank and two other chief minister candidates – G Parameshwara and MB Patil.
All eight were chosen after talks between Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar and senior Congress leaders in Delhi on Friday, and ensure a cabinet representing minority communities.
