MANDYA: With JDS contemplating fielding either state party chief HD Kumaraswamy or his son Nikhil from the Mandya Lok Sabha segment, the Congress has decided to play the “outsider versus local” card to seek votes for its candidate Venkataramane Gowda a.k.a Star Chandru.
Speaking to reporters at Chandru’s residence in Mandya on Monday, Agriculture Minister N Chaluvarayaswamy, while referring to Kumaraswamy, said that in the history of elections in the district, people have never accepted an outsider.
“Kumaraswamy on various occasions had claimed that he would never leave Ramanagara which made him the CM thrice. Now he is planning to leave Ramanagara to contest from Mandya. It is not yet clear whether he or his son will contest from Mandya,” the minister said, adding that Chandru is a local leader.
“There are no incidents where outsiders were able to control the people of Mandya through their emotional statements. We have respect for Kumaraswamy as he is the son of former PM HD Deve Gowda. But outsiders cannot emotionally blackmail the people of Mandya. People will vote for the Congress candidate for the development programmes initiated by the State Government,” he said.
On sitting MP Sumalatha Ambareesh contesting as an Independent from Mandya, Chaluvarayaswamy said that the Congress never asked her to contest as an Independent nor there had been any discussion with her. “Her decision to contest is her personal decision,” he added.
‘Narayanagowda to join Cong’
Minister Chaluvarayaswamy said that former minister KC Narayanagowda will soon join the Congress along with his supporters from KR Pet taluk. “The time for his joining the Congress is yet to be finalised,” he said. MLA P Ravikumar and candidate Venkataramane Gowda were present.