Karnataka Elections 2018: Congress Loses 25 Leaders to JD(S) in CM Siddaramaiah's Home Turf
Reacting to the defections, senior JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy said this is the "result of Siddaramaiah's arrogance".
Bengaluru, April 4: The ruling Congress was dealt with a setback in Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's home turf of Chamundeswari as 25 booth-level leaders jumped ship to rival Janata Dal (Secular).
Among the turncoats include Dalit leader GM Mandani, former Panchayat member Kalinga Nayak, Youth Congress worker Rajashekara Murthy and ex-MLA Kempaere Gowda's son Umashankar.
Reacting to the defections, senior JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy said this is the "result of Siddaramaiah's arrogance".
His style of functioning has not only demotivated the Congress cadres, but also senior leaders including "Mallikarjuna Kharge, KPCC president G Parameshwara and MLA Ambareesh", Kumaraswamy claimed.
Days earlier, the JD(S) suffered a similar blow as its workers of the Vokkaliga community - who form the largest electoral bloc in Chamundeswari - switched to the Congress.
Chamundeswari seat features Siddaramaiah in direct polls fight in the upcoming Karnataka assembly elections. The Chief Minister decided to vacate his stronghold, the adjacent Varuna constituency, for his debutant son Yathindra.
The Chamundeshwari constituency, however, is also considered bastion of the CM as he has contested from the seat on seven occasions. Siddaramaiah had won five of the seven poll battles from the assembly segment.
Since the past two elections, he has been contesting from Varuna where he has registered victories with record margins.
The JD(S), which is the former party of Siddaramaiah, said the CM could lose the fight in Chamundeswari in this round of the polls as the caste equations are stacked up against him.
"People are fed up with Siddaramaiah and his arrogant style of governance. The Congress will be taught a lesson in all constituencies, including Chamundeshwari," Kumaraswamy said.
Reports claim the Congress is also exploring the option of allotting two seats to Siddaramaiah. The move could face hurdles as the Election Commission of India filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court today supporting a petition which sought a ban on one candidate contesting from two seats.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 04, 2018 08:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).