Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Apr 6: Even as Lok Sabha polling date is drawing nearer, there is no respite in the friction between the coalition partners in certain Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. The fire of discontentment gained further fuel on Friday April 5.

It may be recalled that chief minister, H D Kumaraswamy, had accused Congress, BJP and Raita Sangha of together forming a maze to trap his son, Nikhil, in Mandya. He was speaking at Chikkamagaluru. Although there are reports that Congress and JD(S) have struck truce in Mysuru, minister and JD(S) leader, G T Deve Gowda's statement there that his party would not be responsible if Congress candidate is defeated, makes it sound that all is not well in that constituency. The differences between the parties which are profound in Mandya have spilled over to Tumakuru too.

In spite of warning issued by Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, Dinesh Gundu Rao, against using party flags during election campaigns for Sumalatha, on Friday, Congress, JD(S) and BJP flags were waved at some meetings held in villages in support of Sumalatha.

It is said that JD(S) leaders, who wanted to field their candidate in Mysuru, were peeved at the insistence of Siddaramaiah that this constituency should be given to his party. Local strongman and D(S) leader, G T Deve Gowda, who said that his party will not be responsible if the Congress is defeated, has questioned Siddaramaiah whether he had owned responsibility when Vishwanath, who was fielded by the Congress, was defeated from here in 2014 Lok Sabha election. Deve Gowda also said that it is extremely hard to bring workers of the two parties together and hold a meeting. He said he had convened a meeting and tried to change their thinking and support coalition candidate.

Strangely, at a JD(S) meeting organized in a private hotel here, party workers raised slogans hailing Modi, in a clear indication that they would not support the Congress. 

Reacting to these developments, former chief minister, Siddaramaiah, said he would speak to G T Deve Gowda again. He revealed that he has planned joint press meet with the JD(S) leader and party workers conference on April 7 and that leaders of both the parties have pledged to attend this programme and work for the victory of coalition candidate in Mysuru, Vijay Shankar. He at the same time insisted that G T Deve Gowda had never said that minds have split at all places, duly agreeing that there are some issues in Mandya which would be addressed soon. 

At the Congress - JD(S) meeting held at Tumakuru, MP, Mudahanume Gowda, and former legislator, K N Rajannna, and their supporters stayed away. Rajanna, who had said that he would call separate meeting to work for JD(S) national president, Deve Gowda's success, remained away from a meeting convened by deputy chief minister, Dr G Parameshwara, although he was in town.