Ballari: A day after his supporters turned violent as senior BJP leader, B Sriramulu entered Nayakanahatti village in Molakalmuru assembly constituency to campaign, the constituency's sitting BJP MLA, S Thippeswamy vowed to defeat not just him but all BJP candidates contesting from the constituencies reserved for the scheduled tribes in Chitradurga, Ballari and Davanagere districts.
The MLA, who has lost out in the race for the Molakalmuru ticket to Mr Sriramulu, is cleverly making 'Myasa Nayaka' pride a political issue to defeat the BJP candidates much to the dismay of the saffron party, which is banking on winning from the constituencies in Central and Hyderabad-Karnataka by projecting Mr Sriramulu, who hails from the Ooru Nayaka subsect, as the party's Deputy Chief Ministerial candidate.
Mr Thippeswamy, who belongs to the Myasa Nayaka community, a pastoral culture tribe, charged that Mr Sriramulu and the BJP had deceived his community, which is dominant in Chitradurga, Ballari and Davanagere districts, by denying him the ticket these elections.
"The Myasa Nayaka tribe is dominant in Molakalmuru with a population of around 70,000. I will personally visit my tribe in Chitradurga, Ballari and Davanagere district and ask it not to vote for the BJP these elections as the party is politically suppressing it," he said.
Besides the Myasa Nayakas, Mr Thippeswamy claimed he had the support of Dalits, the weaver community and minorities in his constituency. "Let Sriramulu contest from Molakalmuru. I too will file my nomination and win," he declared.
Going by sources the MLA may join the Congress if he is promised a ticket to contest from Molakalmuru or take his chances as an independent.
Meanwhile, Mr Sriramulu alleged in Ballari that the Congress party had orchestrated Friday's violence in Molakalmuru.
