CHAMARAJANAGAR: For a decade,
Chamarajanagar has remained a Congress citadel, with the party managing a sweep of all four assembly segments in the constituency in the previous elections. In a bid to ensure that the fortress is not breached this time round, chief minister
Siddaramaiah toured all four constituencies – Hanur,
Kollegal, Chamarajanagar and
Gundlupet – and held roadshows.
All four constituencies in the district boast a sizeable number of Dalits, people from Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and minorities, Siddaramaiah is looking to consolidate the Ahinda (Kannada acronym for Dalits, OBCs and minorities) votes. To prevent the Ahinda votes from going to the JD(S), which is seen as the Congress’ primary opponent in the district, Siddaramaiah hinted at the JD(S) having a secret pact with the BJP in the assembly election.
At a roadshow in Hanur, Siddaramaiah said, “Voters should not support the JD(S), which allied with a communal party that is trying to divide the society.”
Pointing to the candidate the JD(S) had fielded in Hanur, Siddaramaiah said, “JD(S) has fielded a candidate from Bengaluru, who has no knowledge about the region. JD(S) leaders believe they can win the election with money. People should not cast a single vote for such candidates.” The CM, meanwhile, called the Congress candidate from the constituency, Narendra ‘Mannina Maga (Son of the soil)’.
In Kollegal, where the Bahujan Samaj Party, which has allied with the JD(S) in the election, has fielded its state chief N Mahesh, Siddaramaiah said, “The JD(S) has allied with the BSP, which has no power or influence in the state.”
The Congress has fielded former MLA, and son of former governor, B Rachaiah AR Krishnamurthy in Kollegal. The BJP’s candidate BN Nanjunda Swamy too is expected to pose a stiff challenge to the Congress in the segment.
Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his failure to check spiraling fuel prices, Siddaramaiah said, “The PM has failed to bring down fuel prices in the country, despite a slide in the price of crude oil on the international market, which has led to a steep hike in the price of essential commodities.”
The CM said that, when the price of one barrel of crude oil was USD 125, the price of petrol was Rs 68 per litre, while the price has soared to Rs 76 per litre despite the cost of one barrel of crude oil coming down to USD 60.
Siddaramaiah later campaigned for C Puttaranga Shetty, and MC Mohan Kumari, the Congress candidates respectively for Chamarajanagara nd Gundlupet constituencies.
