CHANNAPATNA: In a high-profile political showdown, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa joined forces to accuse the Congress government in Karnataka of misgovernance.
Rallying behind NDA candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy in the Channapatna Assembly bypoll, the two political heavyweights called for a return to governance that prioritizes the needs of the people over partisan interests.
In a passionate address, Gowda did not hold back in his criticism of the Congress-led Karnataka government, accusing it of mishandling public finances and policies. “The state treasury is empty. Karnataka is on the brink of bankruptcy, and the Congress government has no money left for development,” the JDS patriarch alleged.
“Corruption is rampant under their watch, and the common people of Karnataka are bearing the brunt of their failures,” he added.
Former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, also a BJP Parliamentary Board member, claimed that Nikhil would win the November 13 bypoll from Channapatna by a huge margin.
Recalling the success of the 2006 coalition government between the BJP and JDS, Yediyurappa, who in 2008 had accused the JDS of failing to transfer power, praised Kumaraswamy’s leadership nearly 16 years later. “We brought about meaningful change together, and Nikhil is the leader who can carry forward this legacy,” he said.
MP Kota Srinivasa Poojary also campaigned for Nikhil, launching an attack on the Congress government. He accused it of targeting the poor by scrapping 12 lakh Below Poverty Line (BPL) cards. “The Congress government is planning to cancel 12 lakh BPL ration cards. This is a direct attack on the poor and underprivileged,” he claimed. He urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to halt the move immediately. “If this happens, Nikhil will ensure that these ration cards are restored,” he said.
“When Kumaraswamy and Yediyurappa were in power, they worked tirelessly to uplift the poor, particularly women. Nikhil has the same vision for the state’s future,” he added.
“The Congress refused to allocate even a small plot of land for Ambedkar’s final rites. What has Congress truly done for backward classes and marginalized communities?” he asked the gathering.