JD(S) leader hopping between constituencies, says Dy CM
While campaigning in Mandya, the Karnataka pradesh Congress committee (KPCC) president accused Kumaraswamy of abandoning his constituents in Ramanagara and criticised the JD(S) for losing its identity through its alignment with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday called Janata Dal (Secular) candidate from Mandya HD Kumaraswamy as an “outsider”of the Mandya seat.
While campaigning in Mandya, the Karnataka pradesh Congress committee (KPCC) president said that the voters of Mandya have a staunch tradition of retaining political power within their own constituency and urged them to uphold their self-respect and pride by voting accordingly. He also accused Kumaraswamy of abandoning his constituents in Ramanagara and criticised the JD(S) for losing its identity through its alignment with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
He said, “In a democracy, anyone can contest elections from anywhere, but Kumaraswamy has been hopping from one place to another. 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.”
Accusing the JD(S) of doing dynastic politics, Shivakumar said, “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 Prajwal Revanna, is the JDS candidate from Hassan and Deve Gowda’s son-in-law CN Manjunath is contesting from Bengaluru Rural on BJP ticket and not from JDS. Three of the family are contesting elections. Are there no other leaders in JDS? They are just putting family over party,’’ he said and ridiculed the JDS as a “totally family party.” “None of the three family members will win this election. They have tied up with the BJP, but they will finish off the BJP party workers and leaders,” he warned.
Responding to Shivakumar’s allegations, Kumaraswamy said, “As far as I understand Mandya is still part of Karnataka... I am from Karnataka and I contesting in Karnataka. But Congress should think about why Rahul Gandhi is contesting from Wayanad.”
