K'taka bypolls: Congress rebel Azeempeer Khadri to withdraw nomination on Oct 30, says DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Oct 26: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday said rebel Congress leader Sayed Azeempeer Khadri would withdraw his nomination as an Independent candidate from Shiggaon.
Taking everyone by surprise, Khadri had on Friday -- the last day to submit the papers -- filed his nomination for the November 13 assembly bypoll in Shiggaon at the eleventh hour.
Amid fears that Khadri would dent the prospects of Congress candidate Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan, Shivakumar -- who is also the party's Karnataka unit chief -- said, "Khadri will withdraw his nomination on October 30. The party will give him a suitable position."
According to Shivakumar, the rebel Congress leader discussed his concerns with him.
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"He has been promised a suitable position in the party. I cannot disclose the promises made in view of the Model Code of Conduct. He will withdraw his nomination and work for the party. Khadri is with us," he said.
Khadri should have been given a ticket in the last elections itself, the veteran Congress leader said and added the party would never forget his sacrifices and he would be compensated with a suitable position.
Shivakumar hailed Khadri, saying that he was an honest person and committed to the Congress' secular philosophy.
Minister Zameer Ahmed, MLA Nazeer Ahmed, and Ismail Thamatagara played an important role in convincing Khadri to withdraw his nomination, the deputy chief minister said.
When Shivakumar was told that Khadri had not yet agreed to back out, he said, "We need to take the opinion of all local leaders. There is no dissidence now. We need to talk to his followers too and we will invite all of them to Bengaluru."
The BJP has fielded Haveri MP and former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai's son Bharath Bommai from Shiggaon.
Bypolls to three assembly seats -- Channapatna, Sandur and Shiggaon -- will be held on November 13. The counting of votes will take place on November 23.
Excluding the speaker, the Congress has 133 seats in the 224-member Karnataka Assembly. National Democratic Alliance (NDA) constituents the BJP and the Janata Dal (Secular) have 65 and 18 seats, respectively.
The remaining seats are held by other smaller parties and Independent MLAs.
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AAP alleges 'deep-rooted' conspiracy to kill Kejriwal, BJP terms it 'drama'
New Delhi, Oct 26: The AAP on Saturday alleged the BJP was conspiring to "kill" its convener Arvind Kejriwal and had become "an enemy of his life". The ruling party warned that the BJP would be responsible if anything happened to the former chief minister.
Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta dismissed the AAP's allegations, saying it was yet another "drama" by the AAP to defame the BJP ahead of the assembly polls.
The AAP had on Friday claimed that Kejriwal, a Z-plus protectee, was attacked by "BJP goons" during his 'padyatra' (foot march) in west Delhi's Vikaspuri, a charge trashed by the saffron party.
However, no video of the alleged attack was made available by the party. Police said they had not received any official complaint from the AAP.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, AAP MP Sanjay Singh alleged police were complicit in the incident.
"Police complicity in the incident clearly shows a deep-rooted conspiracy to kill Kejriwal. The BJP has become an enemy of his life," he said.
There was no immediate response from police to the Rajya Sabha MP's claim.
Singh said that despite Friday's incident, Kejriwal would carry on with the 'padyatra' as scheduled.
AAP leaders including Kejriwal are undertaking 'padyatras' in different assembly segments of the city in the run-up to the Delhi Assembly polls, likely to be held in February 2025.
Asked why the AAP had not filed a complaint regarding the alleged attack on Kejriwal, Singh said police could take cognisance of the incident and launch a probe.
It would not have happened if police were impartial. Police officers did not do anything to stop the "attackers" who belonged to the BJP's youth wing, he claimed, adding the AAP was seeking legal opinion on the matter.
He also accused BJP leaders of supporting the "attackers".
Singh said Kejriwal would "neither stop nor bow down" and continue to fight for the people of Delhi.
If anything happens to Kejriwal, then the BJP would be responsible for it. Even if Kejriwal suffers a scratch, Delhi's people would take revenge on the BJP, he said.
At another press conference, Delhi cabinet minister Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed one of the attackers was the vice president of the BJP's Delhi Yuva Morcha.
"BJP Yuva Morcha functionaries attacked Kejriwal. One of the attackers is the vice president of BJP Yuva Morcha of Delhi and the second is the general secretary," he said.
The two BJP leaders, who were dancing after attacking Kejriwal, had lost the councillor elections, claimed Bharadwaj.
BJP leader Gupta rubbished the AAP's claims.
"Despite blaming the BJP, no complaint has been filed by the AAP over the alleged attack on Kejriwal, which shows that the party is trying to play the victim card and gain sympathy by trying to defame the BJP before the assembly polls," he said.
The BJP leader said the AAP is worried about the "waning public support" and is attempting to confuse people through such tactics.
The area where Kejriwal was allegedly attacked is not an AAP stronghold and hence, the party "concocted" the story to gain sympathy, Gupta alleged.
