Bengaluru, October 15: KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao said that as per the decision of Congress-JDS coalition leaders, Madhu Bangarappa of JDS would fight it out against BJP candidate in Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency by-election with the support of the Congress.

Speaking to reporters at KPCC office here on Monday, Dinesh Gundu Rao said that Congress-JDS combine candidates would contest from three Lok Sabha and two Assembly constituencies in the by-election. Both Congress and JDS leaders would campaign together and all the leaders would be present during nomination filing. The Congress and JDS candidates would win in all the constituencies. In the last election, the Congress had got 4.28 lakh votes, BJP got 5.83 lakh votes and JDS got 2.51 lakh votes in Shivamogga where the Congress-JDS members were more in all local bodies. So, the local candidate would play a major role in this election, he said.

The Congress and JDS would win majority seats out of 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections to oust the BJP which is detrimental to the country. In South India, the BJP has some strength in Karnataka. So, the Congress and JDS have their own strategy to counter the BJP, he said.

The decision was taken after taking former ministers Kagodu Thimmappa and Kimmane Rathnakar, MLA B.K. Sangameshwar into confidence to give up the seat to JDS. Minister R.V. Deshpande was nominated as incharge for Shivamogga constituency, while K.J. George for Mandya, D.K. Shivakumar for Ballary, Deputy Chief Minister Dr. G. Parameshwar for Jamakhandi, MP D.K. Suresh for Ramanagar constituencies, he said.

‘The anti-people government at the centre is curtailing the freedom of people. No one can express their opinions freely. It has created fear and intolerance in the country. The Prime Minister himself has involved in corruption. It is an open secret that the HAL management has been suppressing its employees over Rafale fighter jets deal’.

-       Dinesh Gundu Rao, KPCC President

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Bengaluru: Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka launched a scathing attack on MLC Dr. Yathindra, demanding that he retract his controversial statement comparing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to the late Maharaja Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. Ashoka urged Yathindra to apologize to the people of Karnataka if he had even a shred of conscience and any respect for the Mysuru royal lineage.

In a strongly worded social media post on Sunday, Ashoka stated, “Comparing Siddaramaiah to Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar is nothing short of absurd. Where is Nalwadi, who was bestowed the title of ‘Rajarshi’ by Mahatma Gandhi himself, and where is Siddaramaiah, who has stooped to being a puppet in the hands of fake Gandhis for the sake of power?”

He continued his critique by contrasting the enduring legacy of Nalwadi, remembered fondly by Kannadigas for his people-centric development, with what he termed as Siddaramaiah’s failure to manage Karnataka’s economy, burdening every household with debt.

Ashoka highlighted several stark differences, while Nalwadi built Mysore University over a century ago, Siddaramaiah is shutting down nine universities due to lack of funds. Nalwadi famously sold his family’s gold to build the KRS dam, whereas Siddaramaiah is accused of grabbing 14 sites meant for the public. Nalwadi established Bhadravati Iron & Steel Plant, Sandalwood Soap Factory, and Mysore Paper Mills. In contrast, Ashoka claimed Siddaramaiah's governance drove away industries, investors, and entrepreneurs. Nalwadi pioneered reservations for the backward classes long before it became mainstream. Siddaramaiah, Ashoka alleged, is reducing social justice to a gimmick by sticking labels on doors in the name of surveys.

While acknowledging Yathindra’s emotional attachment to his father, Ashoka emphasized that comparing Siddaramaiah to a visionary like Nalwadi was “laughable, baseless, and a gross insult” to the late king.

In his concluding remarks, Ashoka slammed the government for ignoring farmers’ needs despite an early monsoon. He accused the administration of being caught up in internal power struggles and negligence, forcing farmers into despair. “This government will not be spared from the curse of the farmers,” he warned.

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