From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Uttara Kannada, Mar 27: KPCC president and deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar ridiculed opposition BJP for ignoring its tallest leaders and favouring newcomers as it does not have a base while its alliance partner JD(S) is reduced to a family party.

Dismissing BJP's to field rank newcomers as its candidates as meaningless, he said the BJP has lost its base and moorings as those who built the party from grassroots like former state presidents, former chief ministers, former deputy chief ministers and ministers have been ignored and rank newcomers are chosen as party candidates.

‘’Is this an experiment?’’ he asked and said it would be counter-productive to the BJP as those who built the party have been confined to their homes.

Speaking to media persons after performing puja at the Mahabaleshwara Temple in Gokarna of Uttara Kannada district on Wednesday, he said: “JD(S) does not exist at all. JD(S) has stumbled from the beginning as their own family member has been fielded as a candidate from another party while JD(S) State President H D Kumaraswamy is contesting from Mandya while Kumaraswamy’s elder borther H D Revanna’s son Prajwal Revanna is the Hassan candidate.”

JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda, a former prime minister and once a staunch opponent of BJP, must explain why his own son-in-law Dr C N Manjunath is contesting on the BJP ticket. ‘’Obviously, the word 'Secular' is meaningless for JD(S),’’ he quipped.

To a question on the Mahabaleshwara Temple’s priest claiming that he offered puja to make him a chief minister, Shivakumar said: ‘’The priest has expressed his desire and explained why he performed puja. There is nothing wrong. But right now, Siddaramaiah is the chief minister and I am working under him as deputy chief minister and also as state Congress president.’’

“Anybody can desire to become anything. But ultimately it is the party, which decides. We are all working under Siddaramaiah’s leadership. We prayed for good monsoon and bountiful crops so that Karnataka prospers. When my well-wishers and admirers express their views, I cannot silence them,’’ he said.

Answering questions on the ED, IT and CBI probes and raids carried out by the Centre against BJP’s opponents, he said: ‘’This is election time. All these things will be decided in time. People are watching what is happening in Kejriwal’s case or on Shivakumar and other leaders. The people will give their verdict. We have to wait.’’

Shivakumar said he has asked the Congressmen to work unitedly and ensure the success of Congress candidates. ‘’There is no Hindutva or waves in favour of BJP and Rama Mandira and therefore there is no BJP wave. So instead of talking about BJP guarantee, they are reduced to harping on Modi Guarantee. But it is the Congress Guarantee that wins.’’

To a question on the opposition to BJP MLA Shivaram Hebbar joining Congress party, the KPCC chief said: “There is no question of opposing anybody. We will admit those who accept party’s ideology and policies. Once the party decides, there is no question of opposing.’’

Shivakumar said he visited Dharmasthala, Sringeri, Kukke Subramanya, Kollur Mookambika, Idugunji temples on Tuesday and Gokarna on Wednesday. As the process of filing nominations starts on Thursday, it is time to seriously campaign for the success of the party, he declared.