Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday dismissed as "irresponsible and irrational" the Congress' election promise to provide 200 units of free power to all households every month if voted to power in the state.

He also said the announcement showed "how low they are in the electoral race".

"It is an irresponsible and irrational decision. They (Congress) are desperate. That's why they are announcing. Many more such announcements are expected from Congress," Bommai told reporters here. "You (people) expect more (freebies) because of the desperation."

Projecting it as the party's "first guarantee" to the people, ahead of Assembly polls due by May, the Congress made the announcement on free electricity as it began its statewide election bus tour titled 'Praja Dhwani Yatre' in Belagavi on Wednesday.

The Congress wants to win the election by making false promises, Bommai claimed, adding that it was unbecoming for the party which had governed the state for several years to make such "irresponsible statements".

"It would have been acceptable had the same statement been made by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as he is new (to politics). When the Congress government failed to ensure an uninterrupted power supply for six hours (a day), how can they give free power?" the Chief Minister said.

- With PTI Input