Lok Sabha elections 2019: Siddaramaiah, GT Devegowda bury the hatchet

MYSURU: In a move that has the potential to change the political equation in Mysuru

Lok Sabha

segment, former chief minister Siddaramaiah teamed up with associateturned-foe GT Devegowda — the JD(S) minister who defeated him in the assembly elections — to tour politically crucial Chamundeshwari assembly segment on Sunday.


The duo held four rallies where Siddaramaiah urged JD(S) workers to shun differences with the Congress and support CH Vijayashankar, the candidate the two parties have jointly fielded. “I know JD(S) supporters are not used to voting for ‘hand’ (the Congress symbol). But change that mindset this season,” Siddaramaiah said, while stressing on the need to defeat BJP candidate Pratap Simha.

While Simha is a Vokkaliga, Vijayashankar of the Congress is a Kuruba. Vokkaliga voters form the major chunk of the 18.8 lakh voters in Mysuru Lok Sabha constituency. Of the 2.9 lakh voters in Chamundeshwari, 70,000 are Vokkaligas, the highest among the eight assembly segments in the parliamentary constituency. Chamaraja assembly segment in Mysuru city has close to 63,000 Vokkaliga voters, followed by

Hunsur

(43,000) and Periyapatna (48,000).

Siddaramaiah’s joint rallies with Devegowda are aimed at winning over Vokkaliga voters. The two leaders have barely seen eye to eye after Devegowda handed Siddaramaiah a crushing defeat in the assembly elections last year. However, on Sunday the two shared the dais, spoke in unison about defeating the BJP and explained why they have joined forces. Their old rapport was at the fore in Kadkola, 15km from Mysuru, where Siddaramaiah shook hands with Devegowda and asked him to sit next to him.

“There were apprehensions that Siddaramaiah and I will not work together,” Devegowda said. “It is now answered,” he said and went on to recollect the time since 1983 when he used to take care of the former CM’s campaign. “This was the place where we used to hold meetings and we have come back here,” he said. “Congress and JD(S) are traditional opponents from gram panchayats to assembly elections. But times have changed and BJP is clear and present danger.”

Siddaramaiah echoed Devegowda, saying: “It is true we have fought against each other, but BJP is our common opponent now and we need to save the nation.”

Modi lacks courage, says Siddaramaiah

Former CM Siddaramaiah railed against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of lacking courage. “Though he is at the end of his five-year term, he has never held a press conference or fielded journalists’ questions,” Siddaramaiah said. “He must be lacking in courage,” he told the Congress-JD(S) rally at Kadkola in Chamundeshwari segment. He said Modi has not answered opposition leaders’ queries in Parliament and avoids participating in discussions on the floor of the house. He accused the media of not questioning Modi, but cornering leaders like him. TNN

Yathindra deputed to

Mandya

Former chief minister Siddaramaiah deputed his son Yathindra to campaign in Mandya to send out a clear message to the JD(S) that he is not backing independent Sumalatha Ambareesh. At a rally in Mandya for JD(S) candidate Nikhil, Yathindra, the Varuna MLA, said some people are “misusing” his father’s name to promote Sumalatha. “There are rumours that my father is backing the independent. That is far from truth,” Yathindra said. In Mysuru, Siddaramaiah said: “In Mandya, it is not Sumalatha but the BJP that we are fighting.”