Bengaluru, April 10 The battle for the influential Vokkaliga vote bank is on in Karnataka ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Following a delegation of NDA candidates visiting the Adichunchanagiri Mutt, the spiritual centre of Vokkaligas on Wednesday, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar stated that the “pontiff is a wise man and will not get involved in politics.”
Congress state President, Shivakumar hails from the Vokkaliga community which influences election results in south Karnataka region and he managed to tilt the vote bank towards the grand old party.
The JD(S) which derives its core strength from the Vokkaligas, has joined hands with the BJP to reclaim its supremacy over the community’s votes.
Dy CM Shivakumar further stated that the “seer knows that the Congress government is there in the state and the Union government is at the Centre.”
“It is clear what they have done and what we are doing. I am sure he will not be involved in any politics. It is also a known fact that the JD(S) supremo (Deve Gowda) divided the Vokkaliga mutt earlier,” Dy CM Shivakumar stated.
Former PM Deve Gowda is accused of throwing his weight behind a bid to establish another mutt parallel to the Adichunchanagiri Mutt earlier.
Dy CM Shivakumar said, “The first victory of the Congress is its unity in Karnataka. Their (BJP) first defeat is that they remain a divided house. The BJP has changed 15 faces in the Lok Sabha election as they had faded away from the minds of the people. This in itself is a defeat.”
“Former CM Kumaraswamy was removed from the CM’s chair by former CM BS Yediyurappa and others who accompanied him today to the seer. Kumaraswamy is a Vokkaliga leader. Doesn’t he have any shame? I hope that pontiff Nirmalanandanatha remembers it all,” he stated.
“Earlier, the BJP dethroned Kumaraswamy from the CM’s post and now they have accompanied him to the seer. People are not fools. Why would the voters believe their calculation of forming the government after four years in the state?” Dy CM Shivakumar questioned.
Talking about the visit to the seer, former Dy CM and BJP MLA, Dr. CN Ashwath Narayan stated that seeking blessings from Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji has sent out a message of unity to the people of the state and the Congress was panicking.
“The Congress is not able to get the position of an Opposition party. There is no use in voting for Congress candidates. The leadership of Congress is not able to face the heat of the developments that are shaping up in the state. They are haunted by the fear of defeat and issuing statements as per their whims and fancies,” he added.
Earlier in the day, all NDA candidates including former CM Kumaraswamy, BJP candidates from Bengaluru city, Bengaluru Rural, Kolar, Tumakuru and Kodagu-Mysuru MP seats visited the seer, who blessed them.
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