Congress can only give guarantee of loot: Nadda ahead of state polls

BJP president J P Nadda on Monday claimed the Congress can only give a "guarantee of loot" as he accused the party of turning Karnataka into an ATM for collecting money through corruption to fund its poll campaign.

Nadda cited the reported recovery of over Rs 100 crore from some contractors in raids by probe agencies in Karnataka, saying it is shameful and an abhorrent joke with voters.

It is merely a sample of the Congress' corrupt DNA, he said on X.

The same "Congress-supported" contractor dished out lies against the BJP during the recent Karnataka polls, he said, a reference to the charge against then BJP government that contractors were forced to pay hefty commissions under its rule.

"The Congress and corruption are two sides of the same coin. Congress governments have made Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan ATMs of corruption. It wants to make Telangana and Madhya Pradesh similar ATMs to loot people's money," he said.

Nadda further alleged that the Congress is dreaming of power in Madhya Pradesh and Telangana so that it could loot the money meant for the poor's welfare and states' development.

"The Congress can only give the guarantee of loot," the BJP president said.

With the Congress resorting to offering guarantees of specific welfare measures, a plank it successfully used in Karnataka, Nadda took a swipe, saying the party has mastered the art of making promises and has gone a step further by giving guarantees instead of promises.

Corruption has grown exponentially in Karnataka after the Congress came to power there, the BJP chief claimed, adding it is clear that the Congress' guarantee is always of corruption.

Income Tax officials have recovered a large amount of cash during raids on several people, including a contractor, his son, a gymnasium instructor and an architect in Karnataka.

The BJP and the Congress are engaged in a keen contest in the current round of state assembly polls, with the two parties involved in a direct contest in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and vying for power along with the ruling BRS in Telangana.