From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Mandya, Apr 20: Predicting a thumping victory of Congress party’s candidate Venkataramana Gowda also known as Star Chandru in the Mandya election, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday predicted a defeat of JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy.
“What did the former Prime Minister and JDS supremo H D Deve Gowda as well as his son H D Kumaraswamy do for the Vokkaliga community as the Chief Minister,” Siddaramaiah asked and pointed out that it was the Congress party which started the Kempe Gowda Jayanti celebration, established the Kempe Gowda Development Authority and named the Bengaluru International Airport as Kempe Gowda International Airport.
On the contrary, the Chief Minister asked Deve Gowda to disclose to the people as to who was behind the denial of the BJP tickets to sitting MPs Pratap Simha from Kodagu-Mysuru and D V Sadananda Gowda from Bengaluru North. He also revealed that Deve Gowda refused to make K T Pate MLA Krishna as a Cabinet minister and he ensured that the latter was made the Assembly Speaker.
He said the Vokkaliga community faced grave injustices from Vokkaliga leaders in JDS and BJP.
“With this background, how can the JDS seek votes from the Vokkaliga community in Mandya,” he said and asserted that Kumaraswamy will definitely lose just as his son Nikhil did in 2019.
The Chief Minister ridiculed Deve Gowda’s newfound love and admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and dared him to mention even a single promise made by Modi that has been fulfilled.
“Modi remembers Karnataka only during elections and comes running to seek votes. He is not bothered when the State is facing drought, floods and deluge and refuses Central aid,” he said criticising Deve Gowda for opposing the criticism of the Modi, who is expert in raking up emotional issues to polarise voters.
Siddaramaiah dared Deve Gowda to ensure that the injustice to Karnataka in the devolution of funds and holding up of approvals of key projects in the State if he is so close to the Prime Minister as he claims to be.
“Why Modi regime is sleeping on the memoranda seeking drought relief funds,” he asked.