H.D. Kumaraswamy: I won’t beg Mandya Congress netas to back Nikhil Kumaraswamy

Bengaluru: Taking a dig at Congress leaders like N Cheluvarayaswamy and Ramesh Bandisidde Gowda for indirectly supporting Independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said he would not beg these leaders for support.

Without naming the two former MLAs, who were earlier in the JD(S) and had quit the party and joined the Congress following differences with him, Mr Kumaraswamy remarked that some Congress leaders had gone too far by deciding to support the independent candidate through the 'back door'. “We don’t need the support of such leaders. Our JD(S) workers are enough for us. Besides, the original Congress workers have blessed Nikhil. We don't need people, who stab from the back," he remarked.

Answering a question on where Mr Deve Gowda would contest from, Mr Kumaraswamy said Mr Gowda is still mulling whether to contest or not. He likes to contest from Hassan but he has already promised his grandson Prajwal Revanna that he will vacate the seat in his favour. Now, he (Mr Gowda) has to choose between Bengaluru North and Tumakuru and if he contests, it will be from one of these constituencies, Mr Kumaraswamy added.