Mysore/Mysuru: Setting at rest the long speculation on who will inaugurate this year’s Dasara festival, Chief Minister Siddharamaiah announced the name of the noted Lyricist and Film Music Director Hamsalekha at Chamundi Hill temple after offering prayers to Goddess Chamundeshwari here this morning.

Speaking to presspersons atop Chamundi Hill, Siddharamaiah said that Hamsalekha, who is popularly known as ‘Nadabrahma’ would inaugurate the Dasara festival atop Chamundi Hill on Oct. 15.

Pointing out that the Congress Government’s ambitious ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ Scheme (Rs. 2,000 monthly financial assistance to woman head of every eligible family) will be launched in Mysuru tomorrow (Aug. 30), he said former AICC President  and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi, AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge and other top Congress leaders will be attending the programme.

Maintaining that ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ is the fourth of the five pre-poll guarantees of the Congress which is being implemented in the State, Siddharamaiah said that the Scheme, which is being launched marking 100 days of the Congress Government,  will benefit 1.10 crore families. Accusing the Centre of being responsible for rising inflation and soaring prices of essential commodities, the CM asserted that the Congress Government in the State is implementing its five pre-poll guarantees with political will power and overcoming all challenges. The Gruha Lakshmi Scheme will cost the State Government Rs. 32,000 crore annually, the CM added.

Hitting out at Prime Minister Modi, who had said that the State would become bankrupt if the poll guarantees were to be implemented, he said the Congress has proved the PM wrong by successfully implementing the guarantees soon after coming to power.

“We have set up two Commissions headed by former High Court Judges to probe the alleged scams of the previous BJP Government, including 40 percent commission charges, PSI recruitment scam  and corruption in COVID management. The BJP has no moral right to come up with its charge-sheet against the Congress Government when the BJP leaders themselves are facing huge corruption charges,” CM Siddharamaiah said adding that the Government had ordered a probe into BJP’s scams.

He dismissed BJP’s claims that the Congress Government was targeting BJP leaders with Lok Sabha polls in mind, as baseless and that the Government was determined to unearth only the truth.

Taking potshots at the Opposition parties for spreading false canards that Siddu and DKS maintained a distance between them, Siddharamaiah said in fact, the two will get much closer even as the Opposition parties continue to make attempts to separate them. 

Siddu and DKS perform puja at Chamundi Hill

Earlier, Chief Minister Siddharamaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar offered special prayers to Goddess Chamundeshwari as fulfillment of their vow prior to Assembly election that the Congress would meet all its five pre-poll promises if voted to power.

Both Siddu and DKS, who had visited the Chamundi Hill temple on May 9, a day before the Assembly polls was held (May 10), had placed the guarantee cards before Goddess Chamundeshwari and made the vow to fulfill the poll promises.

Now, with the Congress Government coming to power and completing 100 days, the two leaders paid visit to the Hill temple ahead of Gruha Lakshmi launch tomorrow. They broke ‘Edugais’ (coconuts) before the temple and performed spcial prayers to the Goddess.

Atop the Hill, transgenders performed arati to D.K. Shivakumar for taking out ‘drushti’. Shivakumar in turn gave them a monetary gift as a gesture.

A large crowd had gathered atop the Hill, since early morning upon coming to know of the CM’s and DyCM’s visit.

Congress leaders and workers were seen vying with each other to have a close glimpse and attract the attention of their leaders.

Apart from breaking coconuts, D.K. Shivakumar offered Rs. 2,000 to the offerings box in Chamundi Hill temple in the presence of CM Siddharamaiah.