Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashok said in Mysuru on Thursday that E.C. Ningaraju, who was given the ticket for South Teachers’ constituency by the BJP, has promised him that he would withdraw from the poll race with K. Vivekananda emerging as the JD(S) and BJP alliance candidate for the South Teachers’ Constituency.
“Mr. Ningaraju has assured me that he will withdraw his nomination papers on Friday and also work for the victory of the alliance candidate in the elections. He will withdraw from the race in favour of Mr. Vivekananda,” said Mr. Ashok, during the BJP and JD(S) coalition alliance meeting ahead of the Council polls, here.
Mr. Vivekananda, who was given the ‘B’ Form by former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda on Wednesday, filed his nomination papers on Thursday. He was accompanied by former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, Mr. Ashok, JD(S) MLA G.T. Deve Gowda, and Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the BJP candidate for Mysuru Lok Sabha constituency.
The BJP had announced a ticket for Mr. Ningaraju but its alliance partner JD(S) insisted on the seat being given to it as per the seat-sharing formula claiming that it was stronger in the constituency. In the meantime, Mr. Ningaraju filed his nomination papers amidst the developments and confusion. Finally, the BJP decided to fight the polls from four seats while two seats, including South Teachers’ constituency, will be fought by the JD(S), ending the confusion over the ticket.
During the meeting, Mr. Ashok called upon the BJP workers to work for the victory of the alliance candidate in the polls.
In his speech, Mr. Ashok lashed out at the Congress government and said this government will make the State bankrupt. “It has not made payments to dairy producers since over the last eight months and the amount is to the tune of ₹750 crore. The 108 ambulance drivers have not received their salaries in the last three months. Civic workers and even the guest lecturers have not got their wages. This shows the government has no money to pay the salaries,” he claimed.
Mr. Ashok charged that over the last year, the Congress government’s failures are more than its achievements. It failed to handle drought. The law and order situation is bad and cited the recent murder of a girl in Hubballi. Is the police department in the State alive? Does the government in the State exist? he questioned.
Instead of properly handling the drought, the State blamed the Centre which has released ₹3,545 crore as drought relief, he said.
In his address, Mr. Kumaraswamy urged the voters from four districts – Mysuru, Hassan, Mandya, and Chamarajanagar - to elect Mr. Vivekananda in the election.
He recalled the work done for the teachers when Mr. Deve Gowda was the Chief Minister in 1994 and during his tenure as the Chief Ministerin the coalition government with the BJP.
Mysuru MP Pratap Simha, Mr. Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, JD(S) MLA G.T. Deve Gowda, former Minister S.R. Mahesh and other leaders of the BJP and JD(S) were present.
