H D Kumaraswamy, Siddaramaiah,Mallikarjun Kharge: Big guns unite for V S Ugrappa
Ballari: The Ballari Lok Sabha bypoll campaign proved to be an occasion to showcase the unity of the coalition partners JD(S) and Congress with all bigwigs of the two parties sharing a common stage here on Wednesday.
Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, senior Congress leaders Mr Mallikarjun Kharge, former CM Siddaramaiah, Water Resources Minister Mr D.K. Shivakumar and KPCC President Mr Dinesh Gundurao launched a scathing attack on the BJP especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi, state BJP President Mr B.S. Yeddyurappa and Ballari BJP strongman Mr B. Sriramulu one after the other at the public meeting held in the municipal college ground here.
Mr Kumaraswamy remarked that the Ballari by-poll is a 'Dhaiva Parikshe' (God's test) for the coalition government and is a compass which would indicate which way the next Lok Sabha elections in the state would go.
Asserting that the consensus candidate of the coalition, Mr V.S. Ugrappa will win the by-poll, he said, he is running the government under the guidance of 'Siddaramanna' (Siddaramaiah) and Mr Kharge.
"I don't know why are you trying to destabilise this government and what sin I have committed", he asked, evidently referring to BJP leaders and added that he will not stoop to the level of the saffron outfit.
Without directly referring to former BJP minister Gali Janardhan Reddy, who had remarked that former CM Siddaramaiah lost his son because of his sins, the CM said, "you went behind bars not because of Siddaramanna (Siddaramaiah), but for the sin you committed by demolishing Goddess Suggalamma Konda temple to carry out mining illegally".
Continuing in the same vein, Mr Kumaraswamy said, " these people (Reddy brothers and Sriramulu) had lodged a murder case against me when I was CM in 2006, since I transferred two officers from the district and later, they levelled a charge that I took Rs 150 crore as bribe from iron ore miners".
“I know quite well about the developmental work that happened in Ballari under BJP rule. You can't play the game all the time. You are best only at levelling charges at the personal level," he added.
