Rahul Gandhi exudes confidence about Congress victory in Karnataka polls

Bengaluru: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday exuded confidence about the party’s win in Karnataka and said that there’s a strong undercurrent in favour of the grand old party in the poll-bound State.

Addressing a gathering in Bengaluru, he said, “We will be facing elections in Karnataka and I am quite happy to know that there’s a strong undercurrent in favour of the Congress party. I am confident that the Congress party is going to win the elections.”

Launching a scathing attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, he said, “Most of us are aware of what the BJP is doing in the nation in terms of hatred, violence, and the attack on institutions. These are things that are visible to everybody. The essence and nature of our country are being attacked, and it is our duty as Congress people, as people who have helped build the modern idea of India to defend the idea of India from the RSS and the BJP.”

Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi slammed the BJP-led Centre for not providing due representation to the OBCs in government jobs.

Gandhi was addressing a gathering at the poll-bound State’s Kolar, where he made a remark on the Modi surname for which he has been convicted of criminal defamation, followed by his disqualification as MP.

Pointing to the indifference being meted out to the OBCs which are present in larger number but their representation in government jobs were less, he said, “Reservation for SC/STs should be proportional to their population. (The Union government) should lift 50 per cent cap in reservation,” he added.

In a reply to BJP’s allegations that he insulted the OBC community with Modi surname remark, the Congress leader said that the representation of OBC, and Dalits in the central government is not in line with their population.

“There are only 7 per cent of people in the government’s secretaries coming from OBC, Dalit and Adivasi communities,” Gandhi said.