Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) led the government in Karnataka, although the mandate was short-lived. But ever since they broke up, the allies have been attacking each other.
Before the assembly of Rajarajeshwari Nagar (a Bengaluru town), JD (S) leader and former Prime Minister HD Kumaraswamy fired another dart at his party’s former ally.
“The game plan of the Congress party will not work this time in RR Nagar. How will they deal with the voters when they could do nothing for the constituency despite winning the elections from here twice? “Kumaraswmay said Wednesday while accompanying his party’s candidate V Krishnamurthy, who submitted a nomination for the bypoll.
The election is going to be interesting as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress have also presented their candidates. While N Munirathna is fighting the bypoll on the BJP ballot, H Kusuma is the Congressional candidate for the November 3 bypoll.
Munirathna was elected twice in the Congress of RR Nagar constituency: once in 2013 and the second time in 2018.
However, his resignation from the Assembly last year under the anti-desertion law along with 15 other MLAs from Congress and the JD (S) required by-votes in the constituency.
After resigning from the assembly, he joined the BJP and is now contesting the polls on the BJP ballot.
Congressional candidate Kusuma, wife of the late IAS officer DK Ravi, was accompanied by former Prime Minister Siddaramaiah and Congressional Head of State DK Shivakumar as she presented the nomination papers.
Shivakumar said the election was crucial as it is a way of sending a message to the state government and the Center.
Earlier this month, Kumaraswamy had made a scathing attack on Congress, saying that it was not a party worthy of an alliance and that it did not honor the dharma of the coalition.
“Who had placed the proposal of the JD (S) to have an alliance with Congress? None of us have gone to the doors of Congress like HD Deve Gowda (JDS Supreme) did after the 2018 assembly elections, ”Kumaraswamy tweeted.
Both Congress and JD (S) had formed a Kumaraswamy-led coalition government after the 2018 assembly elections, but split after the government collapse due to internal differences and the defection of various lawmakers.
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