Siddaramaiah requests JD(S) MLAs to cast 'conscience vote' to Congress candidate in RS polls
Bengaluru(PTI): A day ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls for four seats from Karnataka, Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah on Thursday wrote an open letter to JD(S) MLAs requesting them to cast their "conscience vote" in favour of his party's second candidate Mansoor Ali Khan, stating that his win will be a victory of "secular ideology" followed by both parties.
JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy hit out at Siddaramaiah for writing the letter to his party MLAs.
"If he had discussed this with our party leaders before filing nominations such complications would not have arisen...he has written about support for minority candidates, then why didn't Congress make Mansoor Ali Khan its first candidate instead of Jairam Ramesh," Kumaraswamy said.
Interestingly, in the letter, Siddaramaiah has repeatedly referred to JD(S), the party from which he was expelled from in 2005 and that he repeatedly called 'B-team of BJP' during previous assembly polls, as a "secular party".
The appeal from the Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly came after Kumaraswamy on Thursday strongly urged the Congress to support his party candidate -- D Kupendra Reddy -- to strengthen "secular forces" and tagged AICC General Secretary in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala in a tweet.
"This Rajya Sabha poll that is before us, is a question of life and death for secularism. While there are Congress and JD(S) on one side ideologically, there is BJP which breathes communalism on the other side. The victory and defeat of our second candidate Mansoor Ali Khan is being watched with curiosity by not only minorities but by all those who believe in secularism," Siddaramaiah said.
Further stating that Khan's victory will not belong to any one particular party, he said, it will be the win of a "secular ideology" that both Congress and JD(S) believe in.
"As public representatives it is our duty to become the voice of the conscience of our voters, who are our bosses. I appeal to you (JD(S) MLAs) to cast your conscience vote for our party's Mansoor Ali Khan, who is committed to secularism," he added.
This comes after talks between the Congress and JD(S) to find some kind of a partnership aimed at defeating the ruling BJP in the contest for the fourth seat in the Rajya Sabha elections from Karnataka seems to have reached a deadlock, with both parties firmly sticking to their stand.
Kumaraswamy had made an offer to trade second preference votes with the Congress, but the main opposition party on Wednesday made it clear to the JD(S) that it was now time for it to return the favour, pointing out that former prime minister H D Deve Gowda got elected to Rajya Sabha last time with its support in June 2020.
Noting that the country is currently passing on the path of disquiet and that the democracy is in danger, Siddaramaiah in the two-page letter, while explaining Congress' commitment to "secularism", reminded JD(S) MLAs about its support in making their supremo Deve Gowda as the Prime Minister and member of Rajya Sabha (in 2020), and making Kumaraswamy Chief Minister after 2018 polls despite the regional party having just 37 seats.
With a belief that JD(S) aimed at fulfilling its ideological commitment would extend its support, the Congress decided to field Khan as its second candidate, he said.
"JD(S)'s sudden decision to field a candidate despite not having enough number of votes has shocked us."
Trying to project this election is a fight between ideologies of secularism and communalism, the former Chief Minister accusing the ruling BJP of spreading religious hatred in the state, highlighted the textbook controversy and alleged disrespect caused to respected personalities of the state and the country.
"...it is the desire of the people who believe in secularism, peaceful coexistence that by utilising this opportunity created by Rajya Sabha polls, a befitting reply should be given to communal and casteist BJP," he added.
Six candidates are in the fray for the Rajya Sabha poll for four seats from Karnataka, necessitating a heated contest for the fourth seat.
Despite not having the adequate number of votes to win the fourth seat from the state Assembly, all the three political parties in the state -- BJP, Congress and JD(S) -- have fielded candidates for the seat, forcing an election.
A candidate needs the support of 45 MLAs to win, and based on their strength in the Legislative Assembly, the BJP can win two seats and the Congress one.
After getting two Rajya Sabha candidates (Sitharaman and Jaggesh) elected on its own strength in the Assembly, the BJP will be left with an additional 32 MLA votes.
The Congress will be left with 24 MLA votes after electing Jairam Ramesh, while the JD(S) has only 32 MLAs, which is not sufficient to win a seat.
Counting of votes will take place on June 10 at 5 PM, which is after the polling hours.
There are talks that the BJP may be at an advantage if preferential votes were to be counted and Congress and JD(S) don't come to any understanding or if there is no cross-voting.
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Delhi Polls: BJP faces protest, placates MLA amid resentment over ticket distribution
New Delhi, Jan 12: Resentment surfaced in the BJP on Sunday over ticket distribution for Delhi Assembly polls, with a protest held outside its Delhi unit office and an angry outburst by the outgoing MLA from Karawal Nagar who was not included in the candidate list released a day earlier.
As MLA Mohan Singh Bisht threatened to revolt after being denied a ticket from Karawal Nagar, the party rushed to control the damage and announced his candidature from the Mustafabad seat this evening.
A group of protesters from Tughlakabad in South Delhi held a dharna at the gate of the Delhi BJP office, demanding a change in the candidate from the constituency.
"Vikram Bidhuri Tum Sangharsh Karo; Modi Se Bair Nahi, Rohtas Teri Khair Nahi," the protesters, including mostly youngsters, chanted as the party leaders tried to pacify them.
In the second list of BJP candidates for the polls declared on Saturday, Rohtas Bidhuri was fielded from the Tughlakabad seat. In 2020 Assembly polls, Vikram Bidhuri who is a relative of senior party leader Ramesh Bidhuri, lost to AAP's Sahiram by over 13,000 votes.
A similar protest was also held by some party workers outside the Delhi BJP office against Mehrauli candidate Gajainder Yadav after the announcement of the first list of candidates earlier this month.
Bisht, the senior-most BJP MLA in the outgoing Assembly elected five times from Karawal Nagar, openly expressed unhappiness over being denied the ticket to contest from his stronghold.
A senior party leader said he was pacified after a meeting with BJP chief JP Nadda.
Bisht, after getting the ticket from Mustafabad, expressed confidence that he would win the seat for the BJP.
"I met the national president and things were ironed out. I have assured that I will contest from Mustafabad and win the seat for the party," Bisht told PTI.
The MLA said he and the BJP had considerable support in Mustafabad and he has already attended two public meetings there.
The BJP won the Mustafabad seat, having a significant minority community presence, in the 2015 Assembly polls but lost it to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in 2020.
Earlier in the day, Bisht told PTI that the party's decision to replace him with Kapil Mishra was "wrong" and its consequences will be visible after voting on February 5.
"You have challenged the 'samaj' (his Uttarakhandi community), not Mohan Singh Bisht. The BJP will lose at least 8-10 seats because of this decision, including Karawal Nagar, Burari, Mustafabad and Gokalpuri," Bisht warned.
The BJP fielded Kapil Mishra, a Hindutva hardliner, from Karwal Nagar in North East Delhi, which was rocked by massive communal violence just after the 2020 Assembly polls.
Sources in the party claimed that there was also "deep resentment" among the Delhi BJP's Scheduled Castes Morcha leaders over being denied tickets from different constituencies including Madipur and Kondli.
A top Delhi BJP functionary stressed that there are many ticket aspirants, so it is natural for those who did not get selected to feel disappointed.
"The BJP is a disciplined party and its leaders understand this. Sooner or later, everyone will realise this and work for the victory of the party giving up their resentment," he said.
The elections to 70 Assembly seats in Delhi are scheduled on February 5. Results will be out after the counting of votes on February 8.
The BJP, out of power in Delhi since 1998, is making all-out efforts to return to power. In the 2015 and 2020 Assembly polls, the party was completely routed by the AAP, scraping through with just three and eight seats, respectively.
