Last three days of bypoll campaign may see money flow, fears Deve Gowda

TUMAKURU: Former PM and JDS patriarch HD Deve Gowda on Monday expressed suspicion over huge cash flows into the Sindagi Assembly segment by the BJP and Congress in the last three days of campaigning. This may affect the JDS candidate’s prospects, he felt. Bypolls in Sindagi and Hanagal will be held on October 30.

Speaking to TNIE, Gowda, who had camped there for a week, felt that the party candidate Nazia Shakeel Ahmed Angadi has a good chance as people have started talking about his contribution towards irrigating the entire segment when he was chief minister. As PWD minister, Gowda said he was instrumental in the construction of 845 bridges across the Krishna river in Vijayapura.

“The JDS has no financial backup like  BJP and Congress. I have covered 25 major villages and received good response from the electorate. I will be there until October 27 and I don’t know what will happen in the last three days,’’ he said. Asked whether he will take it to the notice of the Election Commission, he felt it would not help.

“Rivals may say we have no base in north Karnataka. But why did Congress poach the late M C Managuli’s son, whom we had groomed”, he questioned. “Look at the developments across the country, especially Punjab. The Congress is sinking. If we JDS leaders get united in Karnataka, we can emerge as a strong force,” he said while hinting that the party leadership had persuaded Chamundeshwari MLA G T Deve Gowda not to quit the party. “My grandson and G T Deve Gowda’s son Harish met and dined together. Harish has good prospects in politics. If mistakes have happened, we should set them right and move on,” he said. 

‘Politics is losing its sanctity’
Hassan: Expressing displeasure over the verbal attacks by leaders of different parties during the bypoll campaign, Gowda said they should stop airing nasty statements for cheap publicity. He said that politics is losing its sanctity. He claimed that he had never attack any leader individually under any circumstances. While stating that the party candidates had good public support in Hanagal and Sindagi, he said the outcome of  the bypoll will only impact the Congress.