Rahul Gandhi's Bed and Breakfast New Talking Point in Karnataka Polls

Bengaluru: Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s 'bed and breakfast' has now become the new talking point in poll-bound Karnataka.

Rahul Gandhi will be travelling across Hyderabad–Karnataka region of the state from Saturday to Monday. On Saturday night, he will be staying at a state government guesthouse in Koppal district. The BJP has alleged that the ruling Congress spent Rs 25 lakh to renovate the guesthouse at Kukanur, run by the Public Works Department (PWD), for the visit.

Three rooms on the first floor have been reserved for Rahul Gandhi’s one-night stay. His suite has an LED TV, fridge, small meeting hall, visitors room etc. Two rooms on the ground floor have been reserved for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who will accompany the Congress president during his three-day election tour in party veteran Mallikarjuna Kharge’s stronghold.

Union minister and Former chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda has questioned the spending in a tweet. Describing Rahul Gandhi as someone “used to luxuries of life”, Gowda said there was no need to spend Rs 25 lakh on a new guesthouse, which was inaugurated just nine months ago.

Local BJP leaders claim that the government has bought a new mattress costing Rs 25,000 for Rahul Gandhi’s one-night stay. Countering the BJP’s claim, district in-charge minister Basavaraja Rayareddi clarified that some work was pending even after the inauguration of the guesthouse and that the Rs 25 lakh was spent on that.

“We spent no extra money for the PWD guesthouse. We have installed a new commode, geyser and air conditioners. It is a basic requirement for any room. We have installed a mosquitoes net and cleaned the guesthouse. We have not bought anything new for Rahul Gandhi. Can’t we host a leader like Rahul Gandhi? Is it something a central cabinet minister has to discuss?” Rayareddi said.

He added that no special food will be prepared for Rahul Gandhi and that he will consume the local food.

The KPCC election campaign committee general secretary Milind Dharmasena, who is in Hyderabad–Karnataka region to oversee arrangements for Rahul’s tour, challenged the BJP to give accounts of PM Narendra Modi’s rally in Bengaluru.

Speaking to News18, he said “The BJP has spent Rs 4.5 crore on bus transport alone. What about the other expenses? The BJP can’t fight Congress on real issues. Because of that, it is raising frivolous things like bed and breakfast.”