How Congress’ ’40 per cent’ cut charge cost BJP 40 per cent seats in Karnataka

In the Assembly election results announced on Saturday, the party finished with 65 seats in the 224-member House, down 40 per cent from the 104 seats that it won in the 2018 polls.

In the run-up to the elections, the Congress was quick to latch on to the ’40 per cent commission’ tag, using corruption as its key poll plank and taking on the BJP government that was already battling anti-incumbency and a regime change at the top. The party rode on the election slogan: “40% Sarkara, BJP means Brashtachara”.

Working on an idea proposed by Sasikanth Senthil, a former IAS officer who joined the Congress, the party’s planning and strategy team led by poll strategist Sunil Kanugolu launched a series of publicity campaigns targeting the government on corruption. The most innovative of these was the ‘Pay CM’ campaign — posters with a QR code and photograph of Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai titled ‘PayCM’ sprung up across Bengaluru. The posters had followed Bommai even to Hyderabad, with banners reportedly saying, “Welcome to 40 per cent commission CM”.

Despite multiple FIRs being filed against unknown persons for putting up the posters, the Congress continued its Pay CM campaign.

What aided the Congress campaign was a series of press meets held by Karnataka State Contractors’ Association (KSCA) president D Kempanna, accusing the government of corruption and saying its ministers were demanding commission to clear files. A few months before contractor Santosh Patil’s death, KSCA had shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging corruption in the government.

BJP minister Muniratna (he defeated his Congress rival Kusuma H from RR Nagar) filed a defamation case against Kempanna, but by then, the Congress campaign had picked up.

Corruption, along with price rise, was a consistent grouse against the BJP government and a major talking point in almost all the seats that The Indian Express’s team of reporters covered during the campaign.

State Congress chief D K Shivakumar and Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah also launched advertisements with “rate cards” detailing the commission allegedly sought by government functionaries in various sectors. It charged that the going rates for bribes for Covid-19 supplies were 75%, PWD contracts 40%, mutt grants 40%, and egg supplies 30%. The ads earned the Congress a notice from the Election Commission.

While the Congress’s digital and print campaigns relentlessly targeted the BJP on corruption for nearly a year, the ruling party mostly attempted to duck the charges.

Congress state general secretary B S Shivanna asserts that the party’s “40 per cent commission” campaign was one of the major factors that led to the BJP’s defeat. “People were fed up with the BJP government’s corruption. The Congress took it to the people and we managed to convince them. The campaign really helped to counter the BJP.”

BJP spokesperson M G Mahesh disagreed. “From what I understand, people have elected a government which is ready to distribute freebies. The JDS’s 6 per cent votes swung towards the Congress, reducing our chances. In at least 15 segments we lost with less than 1,500 votes. Also, our move to increase SC/ST reservation did not pay dividends in areas like Kalyana Karnataka and central Karnataka.”

D Kempanna, president of the contractors’ association which took on the government over corruption, said he was happy with the results but would now watch the Congress government. “The ruling BJP government was corrupt and harassed the contractors in every possible way for money. We will not sit quietly if the Congress indulges in the same. But I am happy with the results.”

Speaking to The Indian Express, Prashanth Patil, elder brother of contractor Santosh Patil — whose death brought alleged corruption in the government to the centrestage — said the family was still “awaiting justice”.

“My brother had written a letter to the Prime Minister alleging 40 per cent commission and then he followed it up as well. But the government ignored his pleas and left him in deep debt. Hope the new government orders a fair investigation into the case,” he said.

Patil, who identified himself as the national secretary of right-wing group Hindu Vahini, had written to the Central government alleging that Eshwarappa and his associates were harassing him for commissions. Eshwarappa claimed that he did not know Patil.