BENGALURU: 42 years after inception, the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRSS) faction led by Kodihalli Chandrashekar embraced a political outfit, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), in order to take the electoral plunge in the 2023 assembly polls. Chandrashekar, who had organised the Raitha Samavesha, joined AAP in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, at the National College Grounds on Thursday, creating a history of sorts.
It was significant as one of the founder-members of the original KRRS, H R Basavarajappa, also joined AAP and recalled the four-decade long movement which he claimed was still afloat. Former Karnataka Agriculture Price Commission chairman Prakash Kammaradi, a close associate of former chief minister Siddaramaiah, also joined the party.
Kodihalli, in party cap and wielding a broomstick, the party’s symbol, gave a call to Raitha Sangha members to toil hard and send AAP MLAs to Vidhana Soudha. “Whether Congress is an alternative for BJP, or JDS for Congress, we have found AAP as an alternative. We held deliberations for over one year and found Kejriwal as a role model,” he said, and went on to liken the Delhi CM to Jayaprakash Narayan, and that he can root out corruption. He declared that AAP is the political mouthpiece of the party, and Raitha Sangha will keep its sanctity as an independent organisation to struggle with farmers’ issues.
However, Raitha Sangha members are likely to contest on the AAP symbol in large numbers, with the Sangha and AAP having evolved a plan. “How long can we wait, tolerating the three major political parties which are the same — they make use of Raitha Sangha support and betray them ultimately. We need to become legislators to make pro-farmer policies and also economic ones,” remarked Chandrashekar.
He termed former prime minister H D Deve Gowda a “fatherly figure” and sought his blessings for the new mission of Raitha Sangha. Taking a dig at the BJP government, he said Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai did not deserve to continue in his post after the issues of 40 per cent commission, malpractice and bribe in PSI selection came into the open. “Why have 17 of his cabinet colleagues brought a stay from court, so that video clippings are not telecast?” he questioned.
Kejri, Siddu release MDN book
The Raitha Samavesha also marked the release of ‘Barukolu’ (Whip), a book on Prof M D Nanjundaswamy, edited by writer Nataraj Huliyar, by Arvind Kejriwal. Simultaneously, Opposition leader Siddaramaiah released the book at his residence, with Nanjundaswamy’s daughter Chukki organising the event.