Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has claimed that Congress government's welfare guarantee model has been copied not only by several Indian states but also by US President Donald Trump. Speaking in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar had adopted ideas similar to Karnataka's schemes. He then pointed to Trump's recent proposals, arguing that the American president was also following the same approach.
Shivakumar said Karnataka's guarantee schemes have attracted attention well beyond the state. He claimed Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar have copied elements of the model introduced by the Congress government in Karnataka.
“ Our ideas are being recognised not just across India, but across the world. That is the strength of the Congress party,” Shivakumar said.
He then linked the model to Trump, pointing to proposals involving direct financial benefits for voters. Shivakumar referred to Trump's remarks about payments of thousands of dollars and argued that the US president was adopting a similar political approach.
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Shivakumar said Trump's proposals demonstrated that the ideas associated with Congress were no longer limited to Indian politics. He argued that developments in the US showed the wider appeal of welfare-focused policies.
“Look at Trump. He is talking about $5,000, $50,000 or $5,000. Now he is saying, ‘Vote for Trump and I will give you this many dollars,’” Shivakumar said.
The Karnataka CM said this indicated that Congress's ideas were gaining international recognition. He also claimed that people around the world were increasingly paying attention to India's Constitution and the principles that Congress says it upholds.
Shivakumar further claimed that several BJP and JD(S) leaders were in contact with him and other Congress leaders and were interested in joining the party.
He said district ministers and officials had been authorised to prepare lists of leaders who believed in the Congress ideology. Those identified, he said, would be invited to join the party and work with its leadership.
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