‘People have taught Mallikayya a lesson’

Speaking about the defeat of Malikayya Guttedar, the six-time MLA who quit the Congress and contested in the Assembly elections from Afzalpur constituency on BJP ticket, M.Y. Patil, who contested on Congress ticket,said that people had taught “a good lesson” to Mr. Guttedar for his haughtiness.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Mr. Patil, who had quit the BJP after Mr. Guttedar joined it, said Mr. Guttedar had declared that his main aim was to make senior Congressman M. Mallikarjun Kharge and his son Priyank Kharge politically irrelevant in Hyderabad Karnataka.

“He had projected himself as a great Backward Class leader in the region and assured the BJP of winning 15 seats. Believing his words, the party provided him with a helicopter for his campaign. The irony is that he could not retain his own seat, let alone have an impact on results in other constituencies. The people taught him a good lesson for his arrogance,” he said.

He advised Mr. Guttedar to mend his ways and strive for the welfare of people and development of the constituency.

When asked, Mr. Patil said he was not in the race for joining H.D. Kumaraswamy’s State Cabinet. However, he claimed that he would efficiently handle any portfolio if his party leadership wanted to make him a Minister.