The JD(S) leader was responding to the Congress leader’s reported “corrupt Lingayat CM” statement
Former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Tuesday said former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah may eliminate the Congress in the State because of his “corrupt Lingayat CM” remarks.
“I don’t know in what context he made the remarks. I don’t know how he could make such a statement, being a seasoned politician. Perhaps, he wanted to eliminate the Congress and therefore he might have made the remark,” he told reporters.
After visiting the Chamundi hill temple here, Mr. Kumaraswamy, who was unwell for a few days, said sitting MLA and JD(S) candidate G.T. Deve Gowda will win by a margin of over 50,000 this election.
‘Sidde Gowda is lying’
Denying the claims made by Congress candidate Mavinahalli Sidde Gowda, who recently quit the JD(S) and joined the Congress, he said Mr. Sidde Gowda was spreading lies that he told him to contest against Mr. G.T. Deve Gowda. “He is lying to the voters. The Vokkaliga votes will not go to Mr. Sidde Gowda as claimed by him as they will vote for the JD()S, and Mr. G.T. Deve Gowda. Mr. Sidde Gowda was making cheap publicity,” he said.
To a question on the JD(S) being repeatedly projected as the ‘B’ team by the Congress and the BJP, he said the BJP calls the JD(S) as the ‘B’ team of Congress while the Congress describes the JD(S) as the ‘B’ team of the BJP. “The election result on May 13 will give a reply to them.”
‘No understanding with BJP’
He denied claims by his detractors that the JD(S) and the BJP have an internal understanding in Varuna to defeat Mr. Siddaramaiah.
Mr. Kumaraswamy said the JD(S) replaced the candidate in Varuna to give a fight to the Congress and the BJP. Bharati Shankar, a doctor, who had won once in T. Narsipur, is the party candidate. Varuna was earlier part of the undivided T. Narsipur constituency and the JD(S) has strength in the constituency.
