Daijiworld Media Network - Mandya (SP)

Mandya, Oct 29: Several Congress workers disrupted a joint meeting of Congress and JD(S) organized at Nagamangala to seek support for the Lok Sabha JD(S) candidate, L R Shivarame Gowda, who has been fielded as consensus candidate of both JD(S) and Congress parties on Sunday October 28.

The meeting was held at the block Congress office in the town. Former MLA, N Cheluvarayaswamy, and  coalition candidate for Mandya Lok Sabha constituency, L R Shivarame Gowda from JD(S). As soon as Cheluvarayaswamy began his address, the Congress activists raised a din. They said that local JD(S) MLA, Suresh Gowda, has forgotten that the state is ruled by JD(S) - Congress coalition government, and accused him of creating problems for Congress activists. They said that the coalition candidate  is not right in seeking support of Congress under these circumstances.

Initially Cheluvarayaswamy got angry and threw away microphone. Then he tried to pacify the party workers by telling them that it is necessary to follow the decision taken by national leadership of the party to keep away communal forces. He said that the support is not being extended to the coalition candidate in expectation of something from chief minister, Kumaraswamy, or candidate, Shivarame Gowda. He added that the party is working for the success of coalition candidate as per the decision taken by the party. He requested Congress activists to make the people vote for the coalition candidate.

Addressing the meeting, JD(S) candidate, L R Shivarame Gowda, said that he and Cheluvaraswamy have been bitterly fighting during elections since the last 30 years and that he had never spoken to him. At the same time, he said personally he does not have anything against Cheluvarayaswamy. He said he never thought that the two parties would join hands and that it is necessary in the interests of coalition Dharma to support the consensus candidate.