BENGALURU: A political slugfest broke out between the Congress and JDS after the BJP declared Prof M Nagaraja as its Rajya Sabha candidate from Karnataka.
Congress leaders called the move a humiliation to the JDS, saying that the BJP has denied a Rajya Sabha nomination to JDS patriarch and former PM HD Deve Gowda from Karnataka for a subsequent term.
AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said that the BJP has decided to field its former state-unit vice-president over a former PM.
Prof Nagaraja was a former state vice-president of BJP and a former member of the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC).
“The constant humiliation heaped upon JDS by BJP and its leadership and its repeated acceptance by HD Kumaraswamy merely for sticking to the ministerial chair at any cost is highly astonishing and eye-opening. Further, accepting this insult is an absolute extreme,” Surjewala said.
The Congress leader pointed out that after losing the 2019 Lok Sabha election to BJP candidate GS Basavaraju from Tumakuru, Gowda entered the Rajya Sabha with Congress support despite political differences. He alleged that Gowda had strongly opposed any alliance with the BJP, but JDS joined hands with the saffron party in 2023 and HD Kumaraswamy became a Union Minister in the Modi government. Now, the party denied a Rajya Sabha renomination to a former PM, he said. “This tells us - Power at any cost, power at all cost is the one and only motto of JDS in Karnataka now,’’ he added.
Hitting back, JDS urged Surjewala to recall what Congress did to Gowda when he was the PM. “Kannadigas have not forgotten Congress’ betrayal even after 30 years. Later in 2019, Congress backstabbed Kumaraswamy, who was CM. Congress at the outset shows secularism, but it does caste politics.
The entire nation has seen how Congress treated former PMs PV Narasimha Rao and Dr Manmohan Singh. It is better you check your history. Recently, Congress that had a pre-poll alliance with DMK, joined TVK government. Congress does not have any moral rights. By playing politics, keeping the veteran leader shows how low one can fall,” the JDS said, urging Surejwala to focus on infighting among Congress leaders.
KPCC President BK Hariprasad said the NDA government got Bills passed in the Rajya Sabha with the help of Deve Gowda and now by dropping his name, they have insulted him. “People will teach a lesson to the BJP in the coming days,” he said.
Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra hit out at Surjewala and urged him to remember how Congress mistreated senior leaders like former CMs D Devaraj Urs and Veerendra Patil.
“Instead of worrying about who the NDA fields for the Rajya Sabha, perhaps turn your attention to the government your party is running here. Your leaders are fighting over cabinet berths and portfolios while the people of Karnataka continue to suffer. That is where your energy belongs,’’ Vijayendra said.