Expressing grief over the deaths, Chief Minister M K Stalin conveyed his condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families and said they would be given a solatium after the Election Commission’s permission is obtained

In a show of power that is unlikely to go down well with voters, a Congress MLA from Karnataka has threatened people at a rally that he will ensure electricity is cut in their area unless his party wins by a huge margin in the Lok Sabha elections. 

Campaigning for the Congress, Kagwad MLA Raju Kage was addressing people in his constituency in Belagavi district when he made the remarks. A video of his speech has gone viral and the BJP has attacked the Congress, claiming that the party thinks people are its slaves.

“I got fewer votes in some places. Forget about Shahpura. I won’t talk much about it; if I do, worms will enter my mouth. If we don’t get more votes, we will disconnect your electricity. Therefore, that shouldn’t happen. Remember, I will stick to what I have said,” Mr Kage says in Kannada in the video. 

The Kagwad Assembly constituency is part of the Chikkodi Lok Sabha seat, which went to the polls on April 26. Half of the state’s 28 seats voted that day and elections will be held in the remaining constituencies on May 7. It is not clear when the video featuring Mr Kage was shot.

Taking aim at the Congress over the video, BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said the party talks about a “mohabbat ki dukaan” (shop of love) but the clip shows a “dhamki ke bhaijaan” (chieftain of threats). 

“After DK Shivkumar threatened housing society voters to vote for his brother now Congress MLA Raju Kage says if you don’t vote for me there will be electricity cuts as per news reports. 
Congress talks of Muhabbat ki Dukan but this is DHAMKI KE BHAIJAAN. The Election Commission must act on this,” the BJP leader posted on X. 

“It shows sense of entitlement and arrogance of Congress & how they think voters are not janata janardhan (the majority of people) but their slaves. Several instances of Karnataka Congress leaders speaking this language of threats,” the post said.

Amit Shah on Wednesday accused the Congress government in Karnataka of deliberately delaying action against suspended JD-S leader Prajwal Revanna in the obscene video case until after the voting in Vokkaliga-dominated areas concluded. Shah said that Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, and home minister G Parameshwara were responsible for Revanna’s escape from the country.