Janata Dal (S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy has hit back at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for predicting his loss from the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency in the coming elections.
Mr. Kumaraswamy, who was here on Wednesday to attend the first coordination meeting of alliance partners BJP and JD (S), took a dig at the Chief Minister and sought to know from when he had become a soothsayer.
Responding to Mr. Siddaramaiah’s charge that he was an “outsider” to Mandya, Mr. Kumaraswamy told reporters that he was entering the poll fray from Mandya in response to the wishes expressed by the people of the constituency and party workers.
Though he was born in Hassan, Mr. Kumaraswamy said he took his “political” birth in Ramanagara district. But the people of Mandya and Mysuru districts had added political strength to him.
Reacting Mr. Siddaramaiah’s remark that he had failed to get even his son elected from Mandya in 2019 when he was the Chief Minister, the JD (S) leader pointed out that he and the Congress too were to be held accountable for the loss as the Congress and JD (S) were then part of an alliance.
He said Mr. Siddaramaiah too had lost from Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency in Mysuru even though he started his political career from Mysuru region.
The people of Mandya would give a proper reply to his prediction in the coming elections, he said.
With regard to Mr. Siddaramaiah’s claim that the BJP-JD (S) alliance would benefit the Congress, Mr. Kumaraswamy said the people of the State would show whom the alliance would benefit on the day of polling.
To another remark by Mr. Siddaramaiah that JD (S) leader and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda was fielding his son-in-law C.N. Manjunath from the BJP in Bengaluru Rural constituency, Mr. Kumaraswamy wondered what difference it would make when the two parties were going to polls in an alliance.
He questioned Mr. Siddaramaiah’s concern for the people of Mandya by accusing the Congress administration of depriving water to the district, leaving the cattle without drinking water and fodder. The administration had stopped water flow into the canals, citing repair works, but was allowing water to flow to Tamil Nadu, he claimed.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kumaraswamy attended a coordination meeting with BJP’s State unit president B.Y. Vijayendra and a host of party leaders from both BJP and JD(S).
Addressing the meeting, Mr. Vijayendra said the Congress leaders would get “sleepless nights” after seeing the leaders of BJP and JD (S) on the same platform.
BJP candidates for Mysuru and Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha seats viz., Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar and Balaraj respectively, incumbent Mysuru MP Prathap Simha, former Deputy Chief Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan, former Ministers G.T. Deve Gowda, S.R. Mahesh, and a host of leaders from both the parties were present at the meeting.
