Congress starts ‘flower on ear’ campaign against ruling BJP in Karnataka

PTI, Feb 18, 2023, 10:59 AM IST

Intensifying its election campaign in poll-bound Karnataka, the Congress on Saturday launched a ‘poster war’ against the BJP by pasting ‘Kivi Mele Hoova’ (flower on the ear) on BJP posters in Bengaluru and Dakshina Kannada districts.

The campaign was pursued aggressively a day after Congress MLAs tucked flowers on their ears inside the assembly floor to show their protest against the unfulfilled promises made by the ruling BJP.

The Congress stepped up the ‘Kivi Mele Hoova’ campaign by taking it to the streets now, the party said in a statement.

”Posters of ‘Kivi Mele Hoova’ are seen on the top of the BJP ‘Achievement Wall’ paintings and posters in many parts of the Bengaluru city and Mangalore this morning,” it added.

Karnataka Congress on Friday had attacked the BJP government for failing to fulfil 90 per cent of its 2018 manifesto promises and also for utilising only 56 per cent of allocated funds of the 2022-2023 budget, the statement said.

Former chief minister and Congress Legislative Party leader Siddaramaiah, Congress state president D K Shivakumar and other Congress MLAs sported flowers on their ears to highlight that BJP was making people ‘phool’ out of people, it added.

The ‘Kivi Mele Hoova’ is a pamphlet showing flowers tucked on the ear pasted on BJP posters.

The Congress poster appeared on BJP posters showing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president J P Nadda, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, his predecessor B S Yediyurappa and BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel.

These posters were seen on Jayamahal Road in Bengaluru and Kankanadi in Dakshina Kannada district, a Congress activist said.

The BJP in reaction started a Twitter campaign ”Thatt Antha Heli” (Reply Quickly) to portray Congress as a corrupt party.

The Congress in the past had started ‘PayCM’ campaign alleging that the BJP government charges 40 per cent commission on all public works.

A wordplay on digital payments firm PayTM, the PayCM campaign had a QR code showing Bommai’s face in the middle.