From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Apr 23: KPCC president and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar ridiculed JD(S) supemo H D Deve Gowda’s public crying at an election rally in Hassan, terming it as “crocodile tears” and asserted that it was the Congress party which made him prime minister, when his party had barely 16 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha.

“Deve Gowda should remember that it was the people of Ramanagara and Bengaluru rural districts which made him CM and not his native Hassan while it was the Congress party which allowed him to become the PM,” he said.

Speaking to media persons near his residence on Tuesday, he said the JD(S) supremo has nothing to speak about his party’s contribution to Karnataka. “Whatever he and his son H D Kumaraswamy do, they will not be able to win 4 seats as claimed by Deve Gowda. Of the 3 seats where JD(S) is contesting officially and the fourth seat where the party is contesting unofficially on a BJP ticket and symbol, the Congress is going to win,” he declared.

The president of Tamil Nadu’s VCK party Tholappiyan Thirumavalavan, MP, called on Shivakumar and extended his party’s unconditional support to the Congress and its candidates besides announcing withdrawal of VCK party’s candidates, Chandrashekar in Bengaluru Rural, M C Venu in Kolar and Rajkumar in Bengaluru South in favour of the Congress party.

Shivakumar claimed that it is the Supreme Court, which ensured justice to Karnataka with the Centre agreeing to release drought relief funds. “It is the BJP which has cheated the people and is now claiming that the Congress government is pickpocketing while Modi government increased prices of petrol, diesel, LPG and fertilisers,” he said pointing out that Congress government implemented guarantees, reduced the power tariff besides offering up to 200 units of free power, Rs 2,000 to women heads of families and rice under Annabhagya.

The Congress guarantees have put Rs 4,000 to Rs 6000 in the pockets of each family every month while BJP and Modi regime have been fleecing the people, he said accusing the BJP of coming out with its campaign on pickpocket Congress as it has been worried about the impact of the “Chombu” advertisement campaign of the Congress party.