Mysuru: In a bid to debunk the notion that chief minister
Siddaramaiah is anti-Vokkaliga, as has been projected by the JD(S), Congress leaders from the community said that the
Vokkaligas would support the CM.
Mavinahalli Siddegowda, who quit the JD(S) and joined the Congress recently, said, “Vokkaligas don’t indulge in caste politics. They are intelligent, and will make an informed choice.” Siddegowda has been a long-time associate of the CM.
Dismissing claims made by the JD(S) leaders that Vokkaligas in
Chamundeshwari constituency would vote for Vokkaligas, Siddegowda said, “Being a Vokkaliga, I have tasted defeat myself when I contested from Chamundeshwari segment. Rumours of Siddaramaiah not having the support of the Vokkaliga community are false.”
Pointing to the stark differences in the personalities of JD(S) MLA
GT Devegowda, and Siddaramaiah, Siddegowda added, “There are differences in the way they do politics, and in the manner they work.”
Senior Congress leader Krishna Madegowda sought to remind Devegowda of the role Siddaramaiah had played in his political career. “Devegowda was made the APMC vice-president, zilla panchayat member, and then ZP president before he became an MLA, because of Siddaramaiah. Devegowda should not forget all of this,” said Madegowda.
Former Congress MLA M Satyanarayana said, “Siddaramaiah is being branded as a leader who is against the upper castes, which is not true. He is not limited to a single community. Like Gandhiji, who was not limited to one section of the society, Siddaramaiah too is someone not limited to a single section.”
