From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bangalore, Mar 13: Despite the floor coordination between Congress and JD(S) in the ongoing State Legislature session, former Chief Minister and Karnataka JD(S) Chief H D Kumaraswamy has declared that his party would not have any truck with Congress in the ensuing by-elections to the three assembly constituencies on April 9, which were caused by those elected on Congress and JD(S) symbols resigning due to the controversial ``Operation Kamala.”
``The JD(S) will go it alone because we are quite confident of victory and do not need the support of Congress party,” declared Kumaraswamy while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the State-level convention of Backward Classes organized by the party.
Kumaraswamy said the the party will field its candidates in all the three assembly constituencies – Channapatna, Jagalur and Bangarpet .
``Our party has proved itself in the previous by-elections necessitated by the ruling BJP’s “Operation Kamala” to win over legislators of rival parties. In contrast to the Congress party’s failure to win even a single seat on its own strength in the by-polls, JD (S) has proved its ability to challenge the ruling BJP and win quite a few seats,” he said.
In a sharp rejoinder to Congress leader B K Hariprasad’s reported observations against any tie-up with the JD(S) in assembly polls, Kumaraswamy said: “We have never gone to the Congress party’s door-steps seeking an alliance. It is the Congress party, which sought our help in the Rajya Sabha polls.”
However, he said Hariprasad, who was recently appointed as All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary and Congress Working Committee (CWC) member, may have only been airing the Congress High Command’s views on a tie-up with the JD(S).
Kumaraswamy ridiculed Hariprasad’s praise for the Congress party’s campaign against the ruling BJP. “The Congress party had no role in exposing the misdeeds of the BJP,” he said asserting that it was JD(S) which exposed all the scams and corrupt deals of the Yeddyurappa regime and claimed that the Congress party had not played the role of an effective Opposition.
The former Chief Minister said the ensuing by-polls will prove how relevant the JD(S) is Karnataka’s politics.
“After a string of court verdicts in his favour, the Chief Minister is under the impression that that he will receive a favourable verdict even from the people’s court. But, he will suffer a setback in the people’s court,” Kumaraswamy said.
Though Yeddyurappa will try to misuse the official machinery and deploy money power to win votes, the voters will reject him, the JD(S) leader contended.
Kumaraswamy also criticised the Yeddyurappa regime for its largesse to religious mutts.
“Let me make it clear that the funds given to the Mutts will not benefit the community that identifies itself with the respective Mutts,” he said and attacked the Chief Minister for misusing the tax-payer’s hard-earned money to benefit a few religious Mutts and pro-BJP pontiffs.