Karnataka - Hassan   

Siddaramaiah will emerge victorious, says Kharge

Staff Correspondent

`Coalition using money, muscle power to humble former Deputy Chief Minister'

A SHOW OF STRENGTH: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president M. Mallikarjun Kharge addressing a convention of the party in Hassan on Sunday.

HASSAN: President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) M. Mallikarjun Kharge has accused the coalition Government of the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using money and muscle power to humble Congress candidate Siddaramiah in the byelection to the Assembly from the Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency to be held on December 4.

Inaugurating a convention of Congress workers organised by the Hassan District Congress Committee (DCC) to mark the installation of A. Manju as the new DCC president here on Sunday, he said the electorate would teach a lesson to those obstructing free and fair election.

Terming Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's stay in villages an election strategy, he said such efforts would not yield any result. People were aware of such gimmicks by Janata Dal (S) leaders, he added.

He said there were differences between the Janata Dal (S) and the BJP on the selection of a common candidate against Mr. Siddaramaiah. The BJP was dominating the Janata Dal (S) on the matter and there was a possibility of the Janata Parivar getting merged with the BJP in due course. The Congress would not be perturbed by any obstacle and Mr. Siddaramaiah would emerge victorious in the byelection.

He alleged that Janata Dal (S) president Deve Gowda, who had opposed development works taken up by the previous coalition Government, including metro and international airport projects, was now extending his support to the Janata Dal (S)-BJP Government for the completion of those projects.

"Mr. Gowda considers any criticism against the Government as an attack on his family members," he said.

Listing out the problems being faced by the people, including "discrimination" in the distribution of below poverty line (BPL) ration cards, delay in the formation of Ashraya committees, settling crop insurance claims of farmers, and announcing schemes without earmarking funds for them, he said that the Congress would launch an agitation against the "anti-people" policies of the Government on Wednesday.

Referring to the communal violence in Mangalore and the controversy over Datta Peetha in

Chikmagalur district, General Secretary of the All-India Congress Committee (AICC), B.K. Hariprasad accused the BJP of creating communal tension in the State.

Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly N. Dharam Singh alleged that the Government had failed in making proper use of funds under the Calamity Relief Fund and the package announced to prevent farmers in distress from committing suicide.

He said Mr. Kumaraswamy was not running the Government, but it was Mr. Yediyurappa. There would be a major political development after the byelection.

The coalition Government, which had no principles, would collapse on its own, he claimed.

Congress leaders Motamma, Kondaiah, S.M. Anand, B. Shivaram, and Sageer Ahmad participated in the convention.

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