Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023

After forming the government in the hill state, as per its poll promise, Congress restored the scheme. Besides Himachal, the Congress government also implemented the scheme in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, where the Assembly elections are to be held by the end of this year.

The ruling BJP formed a committee on reintroducing OPS by studying states that have scrapped the market-linked NPS. It assured of a suitable action after the report gets submitted to the government. Understandably, the party took the step at the fag end of its tenure to avoid inviting any wrath of government employees during elections.

With its liquor policy already under the scanner with those in the trade accusing the government of monopolising the industry in favour of a 'handful of entities', the government is currently facing criticism for the abnormal delay in implementing its major poll promise of restoring the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for government employees

Employees in various state government departments, however, are still confused over whether the Rajasthan government will be able to sustain this scheme for long or will it be a mere promise post election if some other party comes in power as the Centre and the state are in a face off over the issue of release of funds under the NPS.

"The people of the beautiful land of Kerala are hardworking and talented. But a new form of terrorism has been unleashed, and the Congress is siding with the conspirators of this new form of terrorism. Not only this, it is forging political ties behind doors with the conspirators. The people of Karnataka should be careful about the Congress," Modi said.

Addressing a large gathering, the Prime Minister Modi said: "Congress protects the masters of terror in Rajasthan and also indulges in appeasement politics," a veiled reference to the Rajasthan High Court on March 29 overturning the death sentence given to four accused in the 2008 Jaipur serial bomb blasts case, acquitting them of all charges.

Speaking at a press conference, Kumaraswamy stated that after nine years the image of PM Modi has come down. The national leaders from Delhi have come to the state for election campaign. They should have come when the people of the state were in distress. "They did not come then, they are arriving now," he taunted.

"I think those who are foreigners should be asked to leave the country, not us who are the natives of this country. So I want to tell you, if you won't give the vote to the Congress party then Yogi's bulldozer will come here also," Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge stated.

"Karnataka will not leave abuses just like that. Will you punish them? Raise the slogan of 'Jai Bajrang Bali' and press the button for BJP at polling booths," PM Modi stated. Addressing his second rally for the day in the poll-bound state at Hattikeri in Ankola of Uttara Kannada district, PM Modi stated, "We have a vision for the development of the state. Congress has lost the trust of the people."

"There is not only Narendra Modi in this world, there are other people as well," Gandhi said while addressing a gathering here on Tuesday. "Modi ji, talk about your leaders, talk about Karnataka, talk about youths," he quipped. "I came here and first of all, mentioned the names of senior leaders of our party. In BJP meetings, Prime Minister doesn't mention anybody. The way, I take the names of Siddaramaiah Ji, Shivakumara Ji, Kharge Ji... Modi Ji will never talk about any leader," the Congress leader asserted.