Addressing mediapersons, Mahesh said that he has recommended the Congress district unit to disqualify Basavarj and Varija as the members of the party.
Answering the queries of mediapersons with regard to Congress’ failure to secure the Taluk Panchayat president’s post even when the party had sufficient number to win the seat, Mahesh said that the party had to join hands with JDS to prevent communal forces from capturing power. In Chikmagalur Taluk Panchayat, Congress has a strength of 12 members, JDS has 5 and BJP has 3. An atmosphere of confusion was prevailing in the taluk with regard to the president’s election as BJP was trying to distribute money to Congress members to vote in favour of them, he said. When Congress leaders convened a meeting, four Taluk Panchayat members refrained from it. Though three of them returned, Basavaraj did not come back, he added.
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