Campaigning for Congress candidate in Shiggaon, CM tries to strike an emotional chord with public

Staking a claim to a ‘flawless political career’, Siddaramaiah speaks about how the BJP and the Deve Gowda family are trying to tarnish his image

Continuing his poll campaign for Shiggaon byelections on the second day on Tuesday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tried to strike an emotional chord with the electorate by mentioning about his four decades of what he claimed a “flawless political career” and how the BJP and the H.D. Deve Gowda family are trying to tarnish his image by making a false charge against his wife (in the MUDA land-grab case).

Addressing an election rally at Chandapur in Shiggaon Assembly segment, Mr. Siddaramaiah sought to know from the public whether he will do such a mistake for the sake of 14 residential sites.

“If I wanted to make money, I could have amassed wealth. But as I did not make any mistake, a false charge is being made against me and a conspiracy is hatched to unseat me. I am confident that the people of the State will not give scope for such development,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that he will bow down to the love and affection of the people but will not yield to the conspiracy of the BJP and Mr. Deve Gowda.

“As long as I have the blessings of the people of the State, I will not yield to such conspiracies of the BJP,” he said.

Mocking State BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that a politician who has “taken bribe through cheque” is commenting against him.

“His own partymen Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and Ramesh Jarkiholi have repeatedly mentioned about how Mr. Vijayendra ‘made money’. On the one hand, Mr. Vijayendra, who ‘received bribe money through cheque’, and on the other, ‘Looti Ravi’, are making allegations against our government but the people know what their worth is,” he said.

Mr. Siddaramaiah said that the former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai identified himself to be a close aide of the former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa only to conspire and unseat him. When in power, Mr. Bommai and the BJP “indulged in rampant corruption” and now, they are making people fight in the name of caste and religion, he said.

Mocking the former Prime Minister, Mr. Deve Gowda, and the former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, he said that previously, Mr. Kumaraswamy had called Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the “greatest liar” and Mr. Deve Gowda had vowed to leave the county if Mr. Modi became the Prime Minister. “Now, in total contrast, they are calling each ‘bhai bhai’ (brothers),” he said.

The BJP candidate who belongs to a rich family is not aware of the life of the village and also of the poor. However, the Congress candidate being from an average family knows the pain of the common man. If such a canddiate is voted to power, it will help in the development of their lives and the constituency, he said.

Mr. Siddaramaiah also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of dynasty politics.

“The Prime Minister made speeches against dynasty politics wherever he went. But he has given ticket to the son of a former Chief Minister and grandson of another former Chief Minister. Is it not dynasty politics?”, he asked.

Questioning Mr. Bommai’s contribution to the constituency and the State, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that his party has fulfilled its promises on the guarantee schemes and based on its performance, it is seeking votes.

“What moral right does Mr. Bommai has to seek votes for his son?” he said, expressing the confidence that the Congress will win the bypolls in Shiggaon.

Subsequently, the Chief Minister campaigned for the party candidate in Hire Bedigeri and Chillurbadni village before returning to Hubballi to fly back to Bengaluru.

During the campaign, the Chief Minister took time to visit Tadas to seek blessings of Thayamma Devi. He was accompanied by Ministers Eshwar Khandre, Shivanand Patil, Chief Minister’s political secretary Naseer Ahmed and Congress candidate Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan and the former MLA Sayed Azeem Peer Khadri.

On Monday, addressing a late evening poll campaign at Bankapur, the Chief Minister commented on the “doublespeak” of Mr. Bommai and how he managed to get party ticket for his son by “misleading the other aspirants” in the party.

Published - November 05, 2024 09:19 pm IST