States » SouthPosted at: Nov 14 2026 9:38PM


Ashoka hits back at Rahul Gandhi over politics-business nexus

Bengaluru, Nov 14 (UNI) Karnataka Leader of Opposition R Ashoka on Saturday turned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's attack on the alleged nexus between politics and big business against his own party, questioning the more than five-fold increase in the declared assets of Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and his family over a decade.
Taking a swipe at Gandhi's criticism of the BJP's alleged proximity to industrialist Gautam Adani, Ashoka cited Shivakumar's election affidavits to point out that his family's declared assets had risen from Rs 251 crore in 2013 to Rs 1,413 crore in 2023.
"Mr Rahul Gandhi is busy lecturing the country on the politics-business nexus. Perhaps he should first look at his own backyard!" Ashoka said in a post on X.
He described Shivakumar as India's richest Chief Minister and Karnataka's richest MLA, while sarcastically invoking Gandhi's famous 'Aloo se Sona' jibe.
"Clearly, the 'Aloo se Sona' machine must be doing exceptionally well! Rahul Gandhi ji, perhaps Karnataka's model of wealth creation deserves a chapter in your next lecture?" Ashoka remarked.
The BJP leader's counterattack came after Gandhi, addressing the Bharat Summit 2026, alleged that the distinction between politics and business had disappeared under the BJP government, particularly in the relationship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Adani.
Gandhi alleged that Adani had risen from being the world's 600th richest person to the second richest through his proximity to the political establishment, benefiting from opportunities across airports, ports, bridges, cement, defence and infrastructure.
He also accused the BJP of witnessing an 11-fold increase in its assets over a decade, claiming that the party had become a financial powerhouse with which other political parties could not compete.
Ashoka used the Karnataka Chief Minister's declared family wealth figures to challenge Gandhi's allegations and question the Congress's credibility in raising the issue of the politics-business relationship.
UNI BDN
Tags: #Ashoka hits back at Rahul Gandhi over politics-business nexus
More News

Ashoka hits back at Rahul Gandhi over politics-business nexus

14 Nov 2026 | 9:38 PM

Bengaluru, Nov 14 (UNI) Karnataka Leader of Opposition R Ashoka on Saturday turned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's attack on the alleged nexus between politics and big business against his own party, questioning the more than five-fold increase in the declared assets of Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and his family over a decade.

see more..

Cong orders review of board appointments over RSS links

14 Nov 2026 | 9:20 PM

Bengaluru, Nov 14 (UNI) The appointment of people with alleged Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) links to Karnataka government-run boards and corporations has triggered an embarrassment for the ruling Congress, prompting the party leadership to order a review and warn that such appointees must resign or face removal.

see more..

Shivakumar recalls asking Modi to buy his Metro ticket

14 Nov 2026 | 9:07 PM

Bengaluru, Nov 14 (UNI) Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar may have shared the Metro ride with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the inauguration of Bengaluru's Pink Line, but it was a light-hearted exchange at the ticket counter that has now emerged as a memorable anecdote from the occasion.

see more..

Phone surveillance of Rahul Gandhi, visa denial to foreign delegates reflect Centre’s vindictive politics: KC Venugopal

14 Nov 2026 | 9:05 PM

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 14 (UNI) AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, MP, has accused the Narendra Modi government of pursuing a policy of political vendetta and intolerance, citing allegations of phone surveillance of Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and the last-minute denial of visas to 115 foreign delegates invited to the Bharat Summit in Hyderabad.

see more..

RINL hospital organises drug de-addiction awareness programme

14 Nov 2026 | 9:03 PM

Visakhapatnam, Nov 14 (UNI) Visakha Steel General Hospital (VSGH) of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), in association with Ukkunagaram Brahma Kumaris, organised a drug de-addiction awareness programme at the Learning and Development Centre Auditorium in Ukkunagaram here on Saturday to mark the sixth anniversary of the Centre's Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA).

see more..