Hope Congress fulfils its promises: Owaisi

On Karnataka elections, Owaisi said, "We did not succeed there. We will work hard. We won't be discouraged"

Press Trust of India

Hyderabad: With Congress emerging victorious in the Karnataka Assembly election, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday said he hoped that the grand old party will fulfill its pre-poll promises made to the public The Congress on Saturday made a stunning comeback in Karnataka, ousting the BJP from its lone southern citadel with a comfortable majority.

In the May 10 elections to the 224-member assembly, the Congress won 135 seats, while the ruling BJP and the former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) secured 66 and 19 seats, respectively. AIMIM had contested two seats in the elections and lost both of them.

The Congress has promised to implement poll 'guarantees' — 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), 10 kg of rice free to every member of a BPL household (Anna Bhagya), Rs 3,000 every month for graduate youth and Rs 1,500 for diploma holders (both in the age group of 18-25) for two years (YuvaNidhi), and free travel for women in public transport buses (Shakti - on the very first day after coming to power in the state.

"The people of Karnataka took a decision...(they) gave power to Congress. We expect them (Congress) to fulfill the promises they made to the people. But, the work on strengthening of Majlis (AIMIM) in states be it Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand and Bengal will continue," the Hyderabad MP said. On the results of the Karnataka elections, Owaisi said, "We did not succeed there. We will work hard. We won't be discouraged (with the poll outcome)."