BELAGAVI: Contrary to the claims of Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi that he will get his close associate Guru Dashayal out of the fray in Athani bypoll, the latter announced in a video which went viral on social media, that he will contest and win the election from Athani, riding on the pro-farmer initiatives taken up by HD Kumaraswamy government.
“Even if one couple from 36,000 families, whose farm loans were waived by HDK-led government, votes for JDS, I will bag 72,000 votes. The performance of the previous government will help me win this election,’’ Dashyal, a JDS candidate in the fray, claims in the video clip.
Speaking to a section of media on phone from Hyderabad, Dashyal admitted that Savadi had appealed to him to withdraw his nomination papers.
It has been revealed that Dashyal went to Hyderabad to avoid coming under pressure from Savadi to withdraw his nomination papers. He is expected to return to Athani only after the last day for withdrawal of nomination papers.
Dashyal said that the DyCM had no role in making him contest from Athani and that the speculations in media that Savadi made him contest the election to defeat BJP candidate Mahesh Kumathalli were far from the truth.
“I did not enter the fray by taking the DyCM’s consent I was with JDS when I became a member of Belagavi Zilla Panchayat in 2006 but joined BJP in 2010. I decided to contest only after JDS gave me a chance. I came to Hyderabad for personal work and will return soon,’’ he said.
However, Dashyal made it clear that he would have withdrawn his nomination had he contested as an Independent.