Water Main Poll Issue in Karnataka, Love Jihad BJP Agenda: DK Shivakumar at CNN-News18 Townhall

Water is the most important issue in the upcoming Karnataka elections, while ‘love jihad’ is an agenda of the ruling BJP, Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar said while speaking to CNN-News18’s Marya Shakil at the channel’s Bengaluru Townhall on Tuesday.

At the event, Shivakumar said the previous Congress governments in the state started programmes for clean and drinking water. ?Bengaluru is the city the world is looking at. A lot of people come to the city. It is our duty to give them clean drinking water,? he said on the Mekedatu project.

Mekedatu is a multi-purpose (drinking water and power) project proposed by Karnataka, which involves building a balancing reservoir near Kanakapura in Ramanagara district. Neighbouring Tamil Nadu has been opposing the project, raising apprehensions that the state would be affected if the project takes shape.

The project, once completed, is aimed at ensuring drinking water to Bengaluru and neighbouring areas (4.75 TMC) and also can generate 400 MW power, and the estimated cost of the project is Rs 9,000 crore.

Setting the party’s agenda for the upcoming elections, Shivakumar said the Congress’ priority is development. “We demand a corruption-free government… BJP does not have a developmental agenda. They are trying to take people on emotions, we are trying to take people on development (sic),” he said.

Asked about who the party?s chief ministerial candidate would be, Shivakumar said: ?The top leadership will decide the CM face? The Congress will get 140 seats this time. There won?t be a hung Assembly.?

Shivakumar also batted for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to be the Opposition?s prime ministerial face in 2024 Lok Sabha elections and expressed confidence that the grand old party would form the government.

“Rahul Gandhi has walked from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. He has seen the heat, snow, cold… he has witnessed everything,” Shivakumar said on the Bharat Jodo yatra.

He further alleged that government agencies are harassing his family and that the BJP tried to poach him from the Congress.

The townhall, envisaged as a platform for policy makers, opinion leaders and prominent voices to engage in meaningful conversations, is coming to India’s Silicon Valley after successful editions in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai.

The essence of CNN-News18 Town Hall is to decode the most relevant and topical issues that are shaping India. These events are stated to be one-of-its-kind where not only will the quality of conversations be highly enriching for consumers, but it will also establish CNN-News18 as a thought leader and pioneer in the knowledge economy.

Read all the Latest Politics News here