Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, May 3: State minister, G T Deve Gowda, has already confessed that in his home constituency, Chamundeshwari in Mysuru, JD(S) workers diverted votes to BJP during the recently held Lok Sabha election. Although he later tried to make amends to what he said, the underlying enmity between the two parties particularly in constituencies like Mysuru and Mandya is far too obvious. Siddaramaiah is learnt to have taken up this matter with All India Congress general secretary in charge of Karnataka, K C Venugopal.

It may be recalled that minister, G T Deve Gowda, had defeated former chief minister, Siddaramaiah, in Chamundeshwari constituency in last year's assembly election.

Siddaramaiah (left) and G T Deve Gowda

The above claim, and apparent grudge nursed against each other by the workers of the two parties many of whom are unable to see eye to eye, have the potential to mar the chances of at least some of the coalition candidates. The mistrust between the two parties is particularly visible in Old Mysuru region. Both parties are trying to show one another in poor light by doing things like giving extra publicity to what G T Deve Gowda said or widely circulating video footage of Congress leaders having dinner with independent candidate, Sumalatha Ambareesh, at Mandya.

The JD(S) has been repeatedly blaming the Congress for not sticking to guiding principles (Dharma) of coalition. Many in the JD(S) believe that failure of the Congress in exercising control over their party leaders and workers has given rise to the current situation where the victory of some coalition candidates is in doubt. They are angry particularly at Siddaramaiah for overlooking the stubbornness and callous attitude of some leaders who were openly defying the party diktat as regards campaigning.

The JD(S) leaders say that rebels who worked against the interests of JD(S) candidate, Nikhil, in Mandya, like Cheluvarayaswamy, H C Balakrishna, and Ramesh Bandisiddegowda had deserted the JD(S) last year and fought assembly election on Congress ticket. They point out that these leaders are ardent followers of Siddaramaiah and therefore would have heeded to sane advice if Siddarmaaih had given it to them. The JD(S) leaders say that their workers neglected Congress candidates in Mysuru because their candidate in Mandya was given similar treatment.

During the election itself, warnings had been sounded to the Congress including the one by tourism minister, S R Mahesh, that if Congress does not support the JD(S) party in Mandya, the JD(S) might not support Congress candidate in Mysuru-Kodagu constituency. The failure of the two parties to hold sufficient number of joint campaigns during the campaigning also points to the fact that the workers and leaders of the two parties do not totally trust each other.