Karnataka election news: Congress wants candidates to avoid personal comments against PM Modi

BENGALURU: Wary of a reversal if they aggressively criticise PM Narendra Modi or Hindutva during assembly election campaigns, opposition Congress has reportedly asked its candidates to focus only on highlighting failures of BJP governments at the Centre and state, the 40% corruption charge, price rise and the party's four 'big' pre-poll promises.
Sources said the informal instructions were given at a meeting with the 124 candidates (whose names were announced in the first list) and state Congress leaders DK Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah and AICC general secretary Randeep Surjewala. KPCC working president Ramalinga Reddy said, "Our election plank will be failures of the state and the central BJP government, 40% commission charge and issues like price rise and unemployment. We will aggressively highlight our poll promises. No decision has been taken to avoid attacking PM Modi."
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With its anti-corruption campaign and inflation generating traction, Congress is wary of gifting BJP ammunition to tilt the tide. The party brass wants candidates/functionaries to refrain from making personal comments against Modi or getting dragged into Hindutva-secularism debates.
"If we say anything against Modi, it will get a bigger play. Efforts will be made to change the poll narrative," the Congress leadership is said to have told candidates. "BJP used similar tactics by twisting AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge's comments during the Gujarat polls. Let us not give room for that." For the past year, Congress has been treading cautiously on controversial issues that involve religion. While it mellowed its initial aggressive stance on hijab and halal, it sought to distance itself from the Urigowda-Nanjegowda issue although JD(S) functionary and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy took on the BJP more strongly.
Congress did not oppose the government's decision to scrap 4% OBC reservation for Muslims as vehemently as was expected. It has asked candidates to speak more on its four big poll promises as it thinks it will yield bigger dividends. The party has announced 200 units of free electricity, Rs 2,000 per month to women heads of families, Rs 3,000 per month to unemployed graduates and 10kg rice per person of BPL families.