BENGALURU: The mind game between Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC president DK Shivakumar and Union Minister of Steel and Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy over the Channapatna bypoll has begun.
On Monday, Shivakumar clarified that his contesting the Assembly by-election, necessitated by MLA Kumaraswamy getting elected to the Lok Sabha, will depend on people’s wish and the party high command’s decision. Also, a party committee set up by him to oversee the bypolls, including the selection of candidates, will take a call, he said.
“In the bypolls, our MLA will get elected from here and we will allot residential sites to at least 10,000 people and will provide Rs 1 lakh loan to 10,000 people to start small businesses, rear cattle and also drill borewells,’’ Shivakumar said. He was speaking at an official public outreach programme Jana Spandana with the slogan ‘bagilige bantu sarkara, sevege irali sahakara’ (government at your doorsteps, cooperate to serve you) at Kodamballi Zilla Panchayat.
Kumaraswamy had recently asked what was Shivakumar’s contribution to Channapatna. To that, Shivakumar replied that he had given 18,000 transformers free to as many farmers when he was energy minister.
At the Jana Spandana event, kiosks were set up to help people register, especially for the five guarantees, while officials addresses their grievances. Shivakumar claimed that the Gruha Lakshmi scheme has reached 94% of eligible households, while 64,000 women heads of families in Channapatna are getting Rs 2,000 per month. “Around 7-8% are yet to be covered and action will be taken. We have delivered the applications to 12,000 families,” he said.
Shivakumar has been touring Channapatna extensively as his younger brother DK Suresh polled a whopping 85,000 votes in the Channapatna Assembly segment in the Lok Sabha polls. He promised local residents of all help, including rejuvenation of temples in villages. “Don’t hesitate to seek help even if you did not vote for us in the Lok Sabha polls,” Shivakumar told people of Channapatna.
Suresh, who too was present, ruled himself out of the contest. “It has just been a month since people rejected me (losing from the Bangalore Rural LS seat) and if I contest the bypolls again, people will laugh at me,” he said.
Statements of DK brothers came just a day after Kumaraswamy ruling out his son Nikhil contesting from the seat. He hinted at fielding former minister and BJP MLC CP Yogeshwar as the BJP-JDS alliance candidate.