From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Hassan, Apr 1: In a frontal attack against JDS supremo and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and his son H D Kumaraswamy from their home district of Hassan, KPCC Chief and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday said the JDS, which has aligned with BJP for political gains for the Lok Sabha polls, has fielded three persons from the Deve Gowda family as if there are no other leaders or ordinary workers in JDS.
Addressing a mega rally after the filing of nomination papers by Congress party’s candidate Shreyas M Patel, grandson of veteran leader and former MP G Puttaswamy Gowda, a close friend turned sworn enemy of Deve Gowda, the KPCC Chief wanted to know if JDS is “reduced to nothing but a family party” and asked the people to check three members from the Deve Gowda family are contesting in the Lok Sabha elections.
“It is a shame and mockery democracy that Deve Gowda’s son and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy is contesting from Mandya while Deve Gowda’s grandson Prajwal Revanna, son of Kumaraswamy’s elder brother H D Revanna, is the JDS candidate from Hassan and Deve Gowda’s son-in-law Dr C N Manjunath is contesting from Bengaluru Rural on BJP ticket and not from JDS,’’ he said and ridiculed the JDS as a “totally family party.”
“Deve Gowda has fielded his son from Mandya, grandson from Hassan and son-in-law from Bengaluru Rural. Three of the family are contesting elections. Are there no other leaders in JDS? They are just putting family over party.” He said.
However, Shivakumar held out a dire prediction: “None of three family members will win this election. They have tied up with the BJP but they will finish off BJP party workers and leaders.”
He warned that the Deve Gowda family “will bury Preetham Gowda politically after the elections. They will not spare Cement Manju, Suresh and Belli Prakash also.”
The Deputy Chief Minister made it clear that he and the Congress party know the kind of politics the Deve Gowda family plays.
“We are not new to political fights against Deve Gowda family. If JDS was strong, Deve Gowda’s son-in-law would have been fielded from his own JDS party and not on BJP ticket. JDS has lost its strength and hence they are in an alliance. It is ironical that they have joined hands with the same people who brought down Kumarasway’s government,” he quipped.
Shivakumar lambasted H D Kumaraswamy for accusing him of conspiring to pull down the Congress-JDS coalition government headed by him and claimed that he along with the present JDS leader G T Deve Gowda and Shivalinge Gowda went to Mumbai to save Kumaraswamy’s government.
“But Kumaraswamy is saying we brought down his government. Let Kumaraswamy swear on Goddess Hasanambe and tell the truth. I will also swear on Goddess Hasanambe that we did not bring his government down. We were in fact trying to save it. The blessings of the Goddess are on Congress candidate Shreyas Patel and I am confident he will win by over one lakh votes,” he claimed.
Mandya voters won’t tolerate ‘Touring Talkies Politics’
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said the people of Mandya vote for their pride and self-respect and will never entertain ‘touring talkies’ politics.
Addressing a public meeting after the filing of nomination papers by Congress candidate Venkataramana Gowda, known as Star Chandru, Shivakumar said: “There is no instance where the people of Mandya give up their pride and self-respect and hand over power to an outsider. People of Mandya don’t entertain ‘touring talkies’ kind of politics of Kumaraswamy.”
“In a democracy anyone can contest elections from anywhere but Kumaraswamy has been hopping from one place to another. Kumaraswamy left Hassan for Ramanagara district and now has moved to Mandya district. You gave power to Kumaraswamy but he did not retain it. Now, he has joined hands with the same people who brought him down from power,” he said.
Criticising JDS, he said:“Kumaraswamy used to say that Ramanagara was his Karma Bhoomi but now he has come to Mandya. Ramanagara made him an MLA, MP and a Chief Minister and made his father a Prime minister. Now, he has ditched it. He doesn’t have any respect for the people who nurture him politically.”
“Let Kumaraswamy do whatever he wants, but I am sure the people of Mandya will vote to save their pride and self-respect. Kumaraswamy has thrown his party’s ideology out of the window by joining hands with the BJP. The last time, I came to seek votes for Nikhil Kumaraswamy but this time I have come to seek votes for Star Chandru who is ‘Mandya’s son’,” he said.
“Your vote is not just for Venkataramane Gowda but for D K Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah and Cheluvarayaswamy. Of the 28 seats, we have given tickets to 8 Vokkaligas including a Reddy and a Bunt. I am aware that you have given us the highest number of seats in Mandya to Congress looking at me. Your support will not go wasted,” he said.
Shivakumar, who spoke to the media before the nomination filing, said, “I thought our candidate would win by one lakh votes, but after looking at the crowd, I am confident that we will win by a huge margin of two lakh votes.
‘Sowmya Reddy is like my daughter’
Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar today termed Sowmya Reddy, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy’s daughter and Congress party’s Bengaluru South candidate, like his daughter and called upon the voters of Bengaluru South parliamentary constituency to elect her with a huge margin.
He said, “Sowmya Reddy is a very creative and hardworking person. All Assembly constituencies including Bommanahalli, Basavanagudi will give her big margins. There is no Modi wave or BJP wave in the State. There is only one wave and that is Congress Guarantee wave.”
“Sowmya Reddy did not lose the Assembly election from Jayanagar but she was defeated by officials. I heard that the officials who were involved later apologised to Ramalinga Reddy. I urge the party workers and voters to elect her with a big margin,” he added.
Earlier speaking near his residence, he Mandya’s MP Sumalatha’s statement, on the poison issue, he clarified: “I made the poison remark with reference to Kumaraswamy, not sure why Sumalatha is responding to it. Everyone knows what Congress party has done for Ambareesh. I am also aware of what he said in his final hours, but I don’t want to talk about it. I will speak to Sumalatha once she comes out of the BJP ideology.”