Former BJP leader slams Manju, says he cheated Congress

HASSAN: Former BJP district president

Yoga Ramesh

, who joined Congress two days ago, slammed former minister and BJP

Lok Sabha

candidate A

Manju

of cheating Congress.

Speaking during a press meet on Saturday, Ramesh said it was because of former CM Siddaramaiah’s support that Manju became an MLA and minister.

“Manju was the district incharge minister in Congress. However, he was defeated by people of Arkalgud taluk in the previous assembly polls as he cheated Congress and joined BJP. I have quit BJP and have joined Congress, but there are thousands of workers in BJP who want to join Congress,” he said.

Stating that there is no Modi wave in Hassan, Ramesh said if there was any wave, then the party would have put up a BJP worker instead of inviting Manju to BJP and giving ticket to him.

“Whatever the Modi wave, BJP leaders believe will get spoiled by Manju. Despite opposition from BJP workers, Manju has been selected as the candidate. I was the district president, but the BJP leaders did not consult me or seek my opinion before inviting Manju to party. Due to the negligence towards me, I took the decision to join Congress,” he said.

Later, former minister B Shivaramu said that adjustments with JD(S) are inevitable to keep the communal forces out of power in the state and country. “Defection during elections are normal and Manju joining BJP will not affect Congress in the district. Being a district minister, Manju failed to build and strengthen the party, resulting BJP losing the previous election. He failed to respond to public grievances,” he said.

“Manju has not gone to BJP to make Modi as Prime Minister again, but because of opportunistic politics. BJP selected him as its candidate not for his political strength but for the fact the party is not having any other candidate,” he added.

MLC and parliamentary affairs secretary MA Gopalaswamy, leaders HK Mahesh and DCC president Manjunath were present.

Meanwhile, a day after anti-party slogans were raised by Congress workers during the party workers meeting in Arsikere, a similar incident has repeated on Saturday as some Congress workers displayed their dissatisfaction for supporting JD(S) in the election.

The incident has taken place during the party meet at Vokkaliga community hall in Belur on Saturday. Block Congress workers who participated in the event expressed their displeasure stating that despite Congress is in coalition government, JD(S) party workers trouble the Congress workers in the district.

“How can we vote for that party,” said one of the angry Congress activists. Some irked Congress workers displayed their distress by pulling out chairs in the presence of senior leaders like former minister B Shivaram and MLC MA Gopalaswamy. The angry activists raised slogans against JD(S), PWD minister HD Revanna and his son Prajwal Revanna who is contesting from Hassan Lok Sabha seat. However, the leaders managed to pacify the angry group and continued the meeting.