From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Oct 26: JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy and Congress leader D K Suresh, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s brother, traded barbs over the issue of notices for ferrying bus loads of people during the filing of the nomination papers by JD(S) candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy at Channapatna on Friday.

Speaking to media persons in Bengaluru on Saturday, H D Kumaraswamy said the huge turnout of people for his son’s filing of nomination papers on Friday has unnerved the Congress leaders, who have resorted to issue of notices over the ferrying of people in buses and termed it as ruling party’s high handedness.

"This is nothing but misuse of official machinery to suit the ruling party, which has hijacked its candidate from other party as it did not have a suitable person," Kumaraswamy said.

Meanwhile, Congress leader D K Suresh, who has taken up the responsibility of leading the party’s electioneering in favour of party candidae C P Yogeshwara, spoke to media persons at Thittamaranahalli village in Channapatna and said being a former chief minister and present Union Minister Kumaraswamy should have the basic knowledge and common sense that the Election Commission is issuing notices and not any political party.

“Instead of levelling baseless allegations about misuse of official machinery, he (Kumaraswamy) should know that the notices were issued to the vehicle owners by the Election Commission authorities for bringing people without taking prior permission during Nikhil’s filing of nomination papers,” he said and made it clear that Returning Officer must have taken action as per the prescribed norms.

Both Kumaraswamy and Suresh, however, claimed that their respective candidates will win in all the three assembly constituencies going to bypolls on November 13.