India
How 85% vs 40% commission war between BJP, Congress plays up in Karnataka assembly election | India News
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NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the first time on Sunday retaliated against the Congress’s allegation that the BJP’s Karnataka government was a “40 per cent commission” dispensation. He said 85 per cent commission is in the very nature and behaviour of the Congress.
Addressing an election rally at Belur in the poll-bound southern state, the prime minister said, “Karnataka cannot surrender its fate to Congress and JD(S) at any cost. The people of Karnataka also know how the palm of the Congress (a pun on the opposition party’s election symbol of hand) loots 85 paise out of every rupee of the people’s right. The people of Karnataka have to remember that 85% commission is in the very nature and behaviour of the Congress.”
PM Modi further said, amidst cheer from the crowd, “Several big companies of the world wish to come to India. The foreign investment is continuously increasing in the double engine BJP government in Karnataka. A BJP government is very necessary to make Karnataka the Number 1 state in the country.”
Modi quoted the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi who, during a visit to the drought-affected Kalahandi district of Odisha in 1985, had said of every rupee spent by the government, only 15 paise reached the targetted beneficiary.
Rajiv Gandhi’s statement became very popular. Even the Supreme Court, in its judgment in favour of the implementation of Aadhaar had said the scheme can take care of malaise of duplicate beneficiaries reaping the fruits of welfare schemes meant for the genuine deprived class.
A bench of justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan said, “A former prime minister of this country has gone on record to say that out of one rupee spent by the government for welfare of the downtrodden, only 15 paise thereof actually reaches those persons for whom it is meant. It cannot be doubted that with UID/Aadhaar much of the malaise in this field can be taken care of.”
Modi’s jibe about “85% commission” was in direct retaliation for disqualified Congress MP from Wayanad Rahul Gandhi’s attack on the ruling Basavaraj Bommai government of Karnataka.
The Nehru-Gandhi scion, in a Facebook post on April 16, had said, “The BJP is exploiting the vast potential of the people of the state for its own gain. We will ensure Karnataka is freed from the clutches of the 40% Commission BJP Sarkara. Can’t wait to be back today, to listen, learn and formulate a new vision of governance together with the people of the state. Congress Baralide, Pragati Taralide.”
Several senior BJP leaders before PM Modi countered Rahul’s allegations terming the Basavaraj Bommai government in Karnataka a “40% commission BJP government”.
The very next day, that is on April 17, Karnataka chief minister Bommai returned the volley at Rahul saying the Congress leader had not responded to his “corruption chargesheet”.
Bommai said he had sent a “chargesheet” to Rahul during his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ on the “scams” during the (previous) Congress government but he had not yet received a reply. “The 40 per cent commission chargesheet is on him (Rahul Gandhi),” the Karnataka CM said.
Rahul repeated his allegation while campaigning in the state on April 23. Addressing a roadshow in Vijayapura, he alleged that the BJP government in Karnataka takes 40% commission.
He said, “The BJP government is the most corrupt in India. They take 40% commission… the same money was used to steal MLAs of the previous government. Will the PM reveal the source of money used to buy MLAs in Goa, MP, Karnataka, Northeast?”
He claimed that the Congress would form government in Karnataka with 150 seats while “the 40% commission government of the BJP will be reduced to 40 seats”.
Union home minister Amit Shah hit back at Rahul and dared the Congress to move court if it had any evidence. After holding a roadshow in Sakleshpur in Hassan district on April 24, Shah termed Gandhi’s allegation baseless.
The home minister said, “They can talk about it and should go to court if they have concrete evidence. Neither there is any probe nor there is any case. How will people believe in such baseless allegations?”
On April 30, there was a flurry of charges and counter-charges between the senior BJP and Congress leader over commission.
While Prime Minister Modi hurled the “85 per cent commission” charge at the Congress, the latter’s general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra She slammed the BJP government for its “lies and deception”, saying it “ruled the state in such a bad way that it got the tag of 40% commission government”.
Karnataka Congress MLA Priyank Kharge, who is also the son of party president Mallikarjun Kharge, took a dig at PM Modi. He said in a tweet, “The PM has enough time to read a fabricated list of 91 times that opposition has called him names, but did not find time to read a serious letter written by a registered contractors association that BJP govt is seeking 40% commision in Karnataka. PM lies to divert attention.”
What is 40% commission all about?
The controversy over “40% commission” arose after the death of Belagavi-based contractor Santosh Patil in April, 2022. A couple of weeks after alleging that the then rural development and panchayat raj state minister and BJP leader KS Eshwarappa had demanded 40 per cent commission for a government project, he was found dead in an Udupi hotel.
In a purported suicide note on Whatsapp, Patil blamed Eshwarappa for his death.
However, Eshwarappa denied the allegations. He said he had sued Patil for defamation after which a court had sent notice to the contractor.
Subsequently, several contractors came out in the open to level similar charges against government officials.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Contractors Association alleged that the commission went up to 50% in order to get files cleared.
The Karnataka State Contractors’ Association also alleged major corruption in various government departments and non-payment of bills.
Since then, the Congress leaders started taunting the BJP government in Karnataka as a “40% commission government”.
Addressing an election rally at Belur in the poll-bound southern state, the prime minister said, “Karnataka cannot surrender its fate to Congress and JD(S) at any cost. The people of Karnataka also know how the palm of the Congress (a pun on the opposition party’s election symbol of hand) loots 85 paise out of every rupee of the people’s right. The people of Karnataka have to remember that 85% commission is in the very nature and behaviour of the Congress.”
PM Modi further said, amidst cheer from the crowd, “Several big companies of the world wish to come to India. The foreign investment is continuously increasing in the double engine BJP government in Karnataka. A BJP government is very necessary to make Karnataka the Number 1 state in the country.”
Modi quoted the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi who, during a visit to the drought-affected Kalahandi district of Odisha in 1985, had said of every rupee spent by the government, only 15 paise reached the targetted beneficiary.
Rajiv Gandhi’s statement became very popular. Even the Supreme Court, in its judgment in favour of the implementation of Aadhaar had said the scheme can take care of malaise of duplicate beneficiaries reaping the fruits of welfare schemes meant for the genuine deprived class.
A bench of justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan said, “A former prime minister of this country has gone on record to say that out of one rupee spent by the government for welfare of the downtrodden, only 15 paise thereof actually reaches those persons for whom it is meant. It cannot be doubted that with UID/Aadhaar much of the malaise in this field can be taken care of.”
Modi’s jibe about “85% commission” was in direct retaliation for disqualified Congress MP from Wayanad Rahul Gandhi’s attack on the ruling Basavaraj Bommai government of Karnataka.
The Nehru-Gandhi scion, in a Facebook post on April 16, had said, “The BJP is exploiting the vast potential of the people of the state for its own gain. We will ensure Karnataka is freed from the clutches of the 40% Commission BJP Sarkara. Can’t wait to be back today, to listen, learn and formulate a new vision of governance together with the people of the state. Congress Baralide, Pragati Taralide.”
Several senior BJP leaders before PM Modi countered Rahul’s allegations terming the Basavaraj Bommai government in Karnataka a “40% commission BJP government”.
The very next day, that is on April 17, Karnataka chief minister Bommai returned the volley at Rahul saying the Congress leader had not responded to his “corruption chargesheet”.
Bommai said he had sent a “chargesheet” to Rahul during his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ on the “scams” during the (previous) Congress government but he had not yet received a reply. “The 40 per cent commission chargesheet is on him (Rahul Gandhi),” the Karnataka CM said.
Rahul repeated his allegation while campaigning in the state on April 23. Addressing a roadshow in Vijayapura, he alleged that the BJP government in Karnataka takes 40% commission.
He said, “The BJP government is the most corrupt in India. They take 40% commission… the same money was used to steal MLAs of the previous government. Will the PM reveal the source of money used to buy MLAs in Goa, MP, Karnataka, Northeast?”
He claimed that the Congress would form government in Karnataka with 150 seats while “the 40% commission government of the BJP will be reduced to 40 seats”.
Union home minister Amit Shah hit back at Rahul and dared the Congress to move court if it had any evidence. After holding a roadshow in Sakleshpur in Hassan district on April 24, Shah termed Gandhi’s allegation baseless.
The home minister said, “They can talk about it and should go to court if they have concrete evidence. Neither there is any probe nor there is any case. How will people believe in such baseless allegations?”
On April 30, there was a flurry of charges and counter-charges between the senior BJP and Congress leader over commission.
While Prime Minister Modi hurled the “85 per cent commission” charge at the Congress, the latter’s general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra She slammed the BJP government for its “lies and deception”, saying it “ruled the state in such a bad way that it got the tag of 40% commission government”.
Karnataka Congress MLA Priyank Kharge, who is also the son of party president Mallikarjun Kharge, took a dig at PM Modi. He said in a tweet, “The PM has enough time to read a fabricated list of 91 times that opposition has called him names, but did not find time to read a serious letter written by a registered contractors association that BJP govt is seeking 40% commision in Karnataka. PM lies to divert attention.”
What is 40% commission all about?
The controversy over “40% commission” arose after the death of Belagavi-based contractor Santosh Patil in April, 2022. A couple of weeks after alleging that the then rural development and panchayat raj state minister and BJP leader KS Eshwarappa had demanded 40 per cent commission for a government project, he was found dead in an Udupi hotel.
In a purported suicide note on Whatsapp, Patil blamed Eshwarappa for his death.
However, Eshwarappa denied the allegations. He said he had sued Patil for defamation after which a court had sent notice to the contractor.
Subsequently, several contractors came out in the open to level similar charges against government officials.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Contractors Association alleged that the commission went up to 50% in order to get files cleared.
The Karnataka State Contractors’ Association also alleged major corruption in various government departments and non-payment of bills.
Since then, the Congress leaders started taunting the BJP government in Karnataka as a “40% commission government”.
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