Congress targets BJP with ‘Chombu’ advertisement

Bengaluru: The Congress in Karnataka on Friday launched a sarcasm-laced campaign alleging that the Modi government’s gift to Karnataka was ‘Chombu’ – Kannada for a round water pot.

The term ‘Chombu’ in Kannada, which is known as ‘Lota’ in Hindi, symbolises deception and emptiness.

The full-page jacket advertisement with the picture of a steel-made round water pot in Kannada reads “Modi Sarkar’s gift to Karnataka – Chombu!”

Congress alleged the people of Karnataka got ‘Chombu’ in lieu of the promises of depositing Rs 15 lakh into everyone’s account, doubling farmers’ income, tax devolution, and drought and flood relief to the state.

“The contribution of 27 BJP and JD(S) MPs to the state is ‘Chombu’. Let’s give ‘Chombu’ to the BJP in this election,” the Congress said, in an appeal to the voters of the state.

Reacting to it, the Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka assembly R Ashoka alleged the Congress, which is unable to give even a ‘Chombu’ of water to the people of Bengaluru this summer, is misleading people with its advertisement.

BJP state president B Y Vijayendra said the Congress government drained the full bowl of Cauvery river to Tamil Nadu and gave an empty ‘Chombu’ to the Kannadigas.

Farmers got a ‘Chombu’ after their crops dried up due to drought and the downtrodden communities got ‘Chombu’ when the funds earmarked for the welfare of scheduled caste and scheduled tribes was diverted, Vijayendra said in a post on X.