Ruling Congress and Opposition BJP-JD(S) combine flex political muscles in Vokkaliga heartland

The Opposition BJP-JD(S) combine and the ruling Congress flexed their political muscles in the Vokkaliga heartland of Mandya district on Tuesday with the former’s padayatra reaching Maddur on the fourth day of its Bengaluru to Mysuru march and the latter holding a large Janandolana rally in Mandya town.

The Opposition BJP-JD(S) combine and the ruling Congress flexed their political muscles in the Vokkaliga heartland of Mandya district on Tuesday with the former’s padayatra reaching Maddur on the fourth day of its Bengaluru to Mysuru march and the latter holding a large Janandolana rally in Mandya town.

The Opposition’s padayatra and the ruling party’s Janandolana rallies have turned into platforms for a slugfest between the two Vokkaliga leaders of rival parties — H.D. Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.

While the Opposition is making efforts to draw public attention to the alleged irregularities in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) and Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Ltd. through its padayatra, the Congress is seeking to highlight the alleged corruption during the regimes of BJP and JD(S) in the State through the Janandolana rallies.

The Opposition’s padayatra follows not only the refusal of the Legislative Assembly Speaker to allow a discussion on the alleged irregularities in MUDA during the recently concluded legislature session but also the show-cause notice issued by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over a petition seeking permission for his prosecution for the alleged irregularities in the allotment residential sites by MUDA to his wife.

At the padayatra, BJP’s State president B.Y. Vijayendra said the march had been taken out with a resolve to oust the “corrupt” Congress government and the “corrupt” Chief Minister.

JD(S) Youth Wing leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy addressed a press conference and lamented the efforts of the Congress to “divert” public attention away from the “scams” by holding the Janandolana rallies. Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy, who was away in New Delhi on Tuesday, is scheduled to participate in the padayatra in Mandya on Wednesday.

Though Mr. Kumaraswamy had threatened to walk out of the padayatra earlier, disappointed over the alliance partner not taking the JD(S) into confidence, he later agreed to participate following intervention by the senior BJP leaders.