“We will ban online gambling applications if JD(S) comes to power,’‘ party leader H.D. Kumaraswamy said in Raibag in Belagavi district on Friday.

Online gambling is worse than offline gambling, as you never know who is playing. Even young people who use smart phones are getting addicted to it. Online gambling is destroying countless poor families in rural areas, the former CM said. He said that there were enough laws and practices to curb offline gambling already and that they would be strictly enforced.

He was speaking at a campaign rally for party candidates.

He alleged that BJP candidates across the State were distributing money to voters. “But whose money is that? It is your money. It is your money that they have looted from you all these years,” Mr. Kumaraswamy said.

He said that the JD(S) would end injustice and discrimination that has been practised by the BJP and Congress over the decades. JD(S) will reduce prices of farm inputs like seeds and fertilisers, introduce cash incentives to landless labourers, free housing for the homeless, increase in social security pensions and free and universal healthcare and other benefits, he said.

In Yamakanamaradi, he alleged that BJP and Congress had come to a clandestine understanding in selecting candidates. They are helping each other in electing their favourite candidates. They are fielding dummy candidates in front of important leaders from each other’s party. That explains why some deserving aspirants from both parties who were denied ticket, joined the JD(S), he said.

He said that the JD(S) will act tough against sugar factories that do not pay sugarcane arrears to farmers on time. As CM, H.D. Deve Gowda had approved the setting up of 28 sugar factories in Belagavi district. That was because he was concerned about the welfare of farmers. We will make sure that these factories function in a pro farmer manner, Mr. Kumaraswamy said.

Maruti Ashtagi, JD(S) candidate said that he was denied the BJP ticket due to the internal understanding between Jarkiholi brothers. “However, I will win this time as the people’s sympathies are with me,” he said.

JD(S) leaders Shankar Madalagi, former legislator Sachidanand Khot and other candidates were present.