UDUPI: Karnataka deputy chief minister Laxman Savadi critical about statements of Maharashtra chief minister on the border issue likened the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVP) government run by Uddhav Thackeray to popular Kannada soap serial Mane Ondu Mooru Bagilu. Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress are the principal parties of a larger coalition that was formed after Shiv Sena broke away from its traditional ally – the BJP.
Interacting with the media after inaugurating JnNURM city bus stand of KSRTC in Udupi on Sunday, Savadi said the Maharashtra government has failed abjectly in handling internal issues in that state and Thackeray is using the border issue to cover up his failures. “Plight of the Maharashtra government is similar to popular Kannada soap opera Mane Ondu Mooru Bagilu and the CM is desperately raking up the border issues to cover up his failures,” Savadi said.
The Maharashtra government failed utterly in handling the pandemic situation there. People of that state are despising the government with the three coalition partners pulling in three different directions. These contentious statements by Uddhav Thackeray are nothing but a tactic to divert the minds of the people from his government’s failure, Savadi said, adding he condemned the same in the harshest of words possible at his disposal.
Backing deputy chief ministerial colleague Govind Karjol’s assertion that Chatrapati Shivaji maharaj was from Karnataka, Savadi clarified that his ancestors hailed from Gadag eight generations before Shivaji Bhonsle arrived on the scene. Slamming Uddhav Thackeray for his immature statements, Savadi asserted that Belagavi, Nippani are an integral part of the state and Karnataka has officially declared Belagavi as its second state capital.
On the choice of candidate for Belagavi Lok Sabha constituency vacated by the untimely death of former union minister of state Suresh Angadi, Savadi said party leadership will take a call once the polls are notified. On the likelihood of Angadi’s daughter Shraddha Shettar contesting as an independent if denied the BJP ticket, Savadi said these are all hearsay. The entire Angadi and Shettar family are hardcore BJP supporters, Savadi noted.