Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.
Credit: DH File Photo
Mangaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday hit out at Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, accusing him of showing emotion only during elections and disappearing when people are in distress.
Speaking to reporters here, Shivakumar said, "Tears well up in Kumaraswamy’s eyes only during elections. Where was he when the people of Kanakapura were in pain and tears?" Byelection to the Channapatna Assembly segment will be held on November 13.
JD(S) leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy will contest as the NDA candidate, while the Congress has fielded C P Yogeeshwara, who joined the grand old party after quitting BJP.
The bypoll was necessitated after Kumaraswamy was elected to Lok Sabha in the recently held elections.
In response to Kumaraswamy’s remark that he cries because he is an emotional person, while Congress leaders do not because they lack humanity, Shivakumar countered, "The people of Channapatna and Ramanagara elected him, yet he did not come here to hoist the state and national flags.
"Has he done anything for Channapatna? It was Yogeeshwara who filled the taluk’s tanks. Kumaraswamy engaged in ‘adjustment politics’ with the BJP when he was the MLA but failed to secure developmental work for the constituency."
"Kumaraswamy and his wife represented Channapatna. The current JD(S) candidate has no connection to the constituency and has already lost in Mandya and Ramanagara. Yogeeshwara has returned to Congress because only our party has delivered development in Channapatna," he added.
Shivakumar further stated that the Congress government has taken steps to directly address the concerns of Channapatna residents and that its five guarantees have become a model nationwide.
"The people of Channapatna are educated and aware. Our government has gone to their doorstep to address their problems. Over 22,000 petitions have been submitted, and developmental projects worth hundreds of crores have been initiated. Our five guarantees benefit all sections of society and are recognised nationally. Many JD(S) workers are joining Congress as they have lost faith in their leadership," he said.
When questioned about Prime Minister Modi’s criticism of Congress’s guarantee schemes, Shivakumar responded, "There’s no substance to his criticism; he’s raising it now because of elections. Our guarantees are feeding people and building lives. When some economically independent women said they would like to pay for their tickets, I mentioned I would discuss it with the transport minister. There is no question of withdrawing any guarantee schemes."
On BJP leaders’ tweets about the guarantee schemes, the Congress leader said, "The BJP is copying our guarantee schemes in multiple states. They have introduced similar programmes in Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, and now plan it in Maharashtra. They’re ashamed of copying us and are therefore making accusations."
"Our state’s finances are in better shape than those of the Union government," he concluded.