TUMAKURU: Unperturbed by the rebellion against the Congress-JD(S) alliance candidate HD Deve Gowda, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara discussed the roadmap for the campaign here on Wednesday. Congress leaders Tumkur MP SP Muddahanume Gowda and KN Rajanna have turned rebels for not being given party tickets.
Since it’s Deve Gowda in the fray, leaders from both the parties took part in the meeting. It has been decided that both DyCM and minister S R Srinivas will hold the joint meeting of both the party workers in all the eight assembly constituencies, starting from April 1 for three days. Once workers of both the parties are ready to campaign together, the former PM will enter the scene so that there is no embarrassment, a leader said. On April 4 and April 5, Deve Gowda will address the rallies at select places.
“He may give 50 per cent of his time to Tumakuru as he has to campaign for the candidates in other constituencies. The Dy CM and Srinivas, along with the local leaders, will look after the rest of the campaign,” informed former MLC Ramesh Babu, who took part in the meeting.
The MLAs Veerabhadraiah and DC Gowrishankar former MLAs Rafeek Ahmed, Shafi Ahmed of Congress party, KM Thimmarayappa of JD(S), leaders Krishnamurthy, Lokeshwara took part in the meeting which was held at the Siddhartha Engineering College run by DCM.“On Friday — the deadline for withdrawing nomination papers — both of them will withdraw and toe the line. We still have a bigger motto of defeating Prime Minister Narendra Modi and these leaders should realise the same. Even if they continue with the rebellion, I just cannot help it”, former MLC Ramesh Babu stated.
Meanwhile, KN Rajanna reportedly said that he may withdraw if SP Muddahanume Gowda makes the first move clearing that he will back only if the latter continued to be in the fray.On Wednesday morning, Rajanna called on the CLP leader Siddaramaiah and held deliberations over the state of affairs. Sources said, since Deve Gowda may intervene to dissuade rebellion, Siddaramaiah had made the first move to take the credit.