From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Apr 2: Staunch loyalists and followers of Bellary mining lord G Janardhana Reddy’s close confidant and founder of Badavara Shramikara Raithara (BSR) Congress B Sriramulu, who joined BJP to become the party candidate from Bellary, have announced their decision of ditching their leader in his quest for entering Lok Sabha.
Addressing a press conference in Bangalore on Tuesday, the leaders of the Sriramulu followers declared that they have unanimously decided not to campaign or work for Sriramulu in Bellary.
''We are angry that he (Sriramulu), who quit BJP and formed his own party, has unilaterally decided to join the party that had dumped him. He did not consult any of his supporters or followers and joined BJP without taking any of us,” said V Nagaraj, leader of the Sriramulu supporters.
He declared that he and all other like-minded persons, who have been deeply hurt and pained by Sriramulu’s decision of joining BJP alone by ''abandoning” all followers who had stood by him and not taking anybody along, would start their own door-to-door campaign against Sriramulu in Bellary and appeal to the voters not to support any party.
Jagadish, another party worker from Kolar, said that the campaign will be under the official party flag of the BSR Party. ''The leader might have joined another party. But we the workers are enough to carry the party flag and banner,” he said.
He said that about 80 workers of BSR Congress had remained with the party and there are many others who are expected to join the campaign against Sriramulu.
BJP Demands Action Against Bellary DC
Meanwhile, State BJP spokesman and former minister S Suresh Kumar and former deputy chief minister R Ashok, who addressed a separate news conference in Bangalore, alleged that the Bellary Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer Aditya Biswas was preventing Sriramulu and party leader Sanna Fakirappa from campaigning for the party in the guise of curbing malpractices.
The BJP leaders urged the Election Commissioner of India to take action against the Bellary Deputy Commissioner for his alleged ''unlawful activities” and preventing legitimate electioneering of BJP.
''While we have no objection to curbing electoral malpractices and fully support such initiatives if honestly and impartially followed in respect of all parties, high handedness and targeting of one party would not and cannot be tolerated,” the BJP leaders said.
Left parties want Religious Maths to keep off politics
The Left parties, which are contesting from six Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka as a united front, have appealed to the heads of religious Maths not to allow themselves to be used by political parties during elections to seek votes in the name of caste or religion.
CPI leader P V Lokesh, who spoke on behalf of the front of left parties comprising CPM, CPI and Forrward Block, said political party leaders were visiting heads of Mutts affiliated to caste and religious groups ahead of elections and photographs of these visits were being carried in newspapers.
A few heads of Maths had openly directed political party leaders not to use photos of these visits in the media and others should follow the example.
"The Election Commission too should examine this phenomenon," he said adding that it is an indirect way of asking for votes in the name of caste and religion.
Former MLA and CPM candidate from Chikballapur, G V Srirama Reddy, said the people of Karnataka have seen the worst things that can happen when religious Mutts ‘got mixed up in politics’ as was witnessed during the BJP rule in the State.