Hubballi/IBNS: Taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Monday stated that Jagadish Shettar was denied an election ticket by the saffron party as he did not indulge in corruption.

"He (Shettar) did not get a ticket as he did not do any corruption. He could not become a leader in BJP because he did not take 40 percent (commission)," Gandhi said addressing a rally in Karnataka's Haveri district.

Former BJP leader Jagadish Shettar joined the Congress, quitting the BJP this month after he was denied a ticket by the ruling party.

The Congress gave him a ticket to contest from the Hubli-Dharwad Central constituency. He is pitted against BJP's Mahesh Tenginkai.

Meanwhile reiterating the "40 percent sarkar" charge against the Basavaraj Bommai government in Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi asked voters not to give BJP 40 plus seats, and ensure 150 seats for the Congress as the ruling party cheats the people.

"Ensure 150 seats for the Congress. Don't give them (BJP) 40 plus seats, because BJP steals the government," he said.

He also criticised the central government for "encouraging privatization" of public companies and scissoring government jobs in the country.

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed power, he had promised to give two crore jobs to youth every year, but unemployment is the highest today in 40 years, he said.

"We don't want such a Hindustan; an unemployed India; a poor India. We want justice," he said.

In an interaction with sugarcane farmers at Ramdurg in Belagavi district, Rahul Gandhi said the country's progress depended on the progress of its farmers, labourers and small businesses.

He also alleged that the corrupt BJP government is only focused on helping 2 to 3 of its friends, instead of focusing on reducing the hardships of the farmers across the country.

Gandhi said the farmers and small businesses have been attacked by the fallacious policies of the BJP like the GST.

On Sunday, Rahul Gandhi held a massive roadshow in Vijayapura. Later he visited Kudala Sangama, a pilgrimage center for Lingayats, to participate in Basava Jayanti.

Basava Jayanti is celebrated in memory of 12th-century social reformer Basavanna.

The Gandhi scion had launched a tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the Bommai government in Karnataka.

He had said that while the medieval era reformer had propounded social equality and helped the needy, PM Modi was befriending business tycoon Gautam Adani, who is rich and wealthy.

[With UNI inputs]