Bengaluru: Livid with the decision of Congress to expel his supporters in Madhugiri Assembly constituency on charges of working against former prime minister, H. D. Deve Gowda, during Lok Sabha polls, senior leader, K.N. Rajanna on Saturday warned the leadership that if the expulsion order were not withdrawn forthwith, he would reduce the party's presence in Madhugiri to zilch.
He told the media he saw no reason for such drastic action against his supporters. "Where is the necessity to target my supporters? I know who is behind all this. I don't care about the party's diktats anymore. I will abide by them (party leaders) only when they revoke the decision to expel by supporters. Until then I stand by my supporters," he added.
He also dared the party leadership to prove charges levelled against his supporters. "The party is saying that my supporters indulged in anti-party activities. I say that they have not. If they have, then the party should prove charges against my supporters with proof," he added.
According to him, it would be difficult to prove charges that his supporters campaigned for BJP. "They have been staunch loyalists of Congress. They have so far not ditched me, so how can they ditch the party," he queried.
In response to a question, Mr Rajanna retorted that he knows how to pull down the shutters of Congress party's office in Madhugiri.
Answering another question, Mr Rajanna said for Mr Deve Gowda he would ensure nearly 1.5 lakh lead in Madhugiri constituency and nearly one lakh lead in Koratagere constituency, which was his bastion prior to delimitation. "So, Mr (Deve) Gowda's victory is assured from my side. I do not know about others," he said amid reports that it would not be a smooth sail for Mr Gowda in Tumakuru.
Keep yourself updated on Lok Sabha Elections 2019 with our round-the-clock coverage -- breaking news, updates, analyses et all. Happy reading.
