BELAGAVI: Former chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Sunday said that there is a delay in the Congress announcing its list of candidates for the December 10 MLC polls owing to a rift between KPCC president DK Shivakumar and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah.
“There is differences of opinion between the two leaders. Siddaramaiah is incapable of finalising the party’s list,” the 78-year-old Lingayat strongman told the media. Launching a tirade against Siddaramaiah for calling BJP’s ‘Jan Swaraj Yatra’ as ‘Jan Barbaad Yatra’ and ‘touring talkies’, Yediyurappa said, “We are collecting details from farmers and officials on crop loss owing to untimely rains at the Jan Swaraj Yatra.
We will later submit a comprehensive report to the Union and State governments to ensure that the farmers get compensation. Siddaramaiah is speaking whatever comes to his mind after realising that his party enjoys no mass support.”
He said the BJP has fielded candidates in 20 of the 25 constituencies that are going to polls and expressed confidence of winning in at least 15 seats. “Our yatra is getting a good response except in Mandya and 2-3 other constituencies. But we will work hard to win in those seats too,” he thundered.
On Lakhan Jarkiholi, brother of BJP Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, contesting the polls as an Independent, he said, “I will discuss and take him into confidence to ensure that our candidate Mahantesh Kavatagimath wins.”