G D Harish Gowda
Credit: DH Photo
Mysuru: Hunsur MLA and former president of Mysuru and Chamarajanagara District Co-Operative Central (MCDCC) Bank G D Harish Gowda on Monday said that he will seek the court’s intervention to conduct re-election in a few ‘doubtful’ segments of the bank, where a couple of MLAs and an ex-MLA won 'due to irregularities'.
Speaking to media persons in Mysuru on Monday, Gowda said, “There have been irregularities in the election of the MCDCC Bank and Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna has admitted this. We will ask the court to hold re-elections in the constituencies, where votes were added illegally”.
“Rajanna has no moral standing to continue as minister. But, I will not demand his resignation. I leave it to his conscience. We will submit Rajanna's statement before the court. The Karnataka State government has committed fraud in the cooperative elections. Rajanna has ruined the cooperative sector by showing how to commit electoral fraud. I will discuss this matter in the Assembly. If the government had not added votes by fraud, two MLAs and a former MLA would have lost. They all won by a margin of a single vote,” Gowda said.
In reply to a question on his father Chamundeshwari MLA G T Devegowda distancing himself from the party – JD(S), Gowda said, “It is true that my father is upset with the party. He has stayed away from the JD(S) due to his dissatisfaction. Senior party leaders are trying to convince him. This is not a personal family matter. So I cannot speak much about it”.
“I am in the JD(S) and I will remain in the party. There is no question of me going to the Congress. My people have elected me from the JD(S). I will not betray the people. Our aim is to make Kumaraswamy the Chief Minister of Karnataka again,” Gowda said.
On a question on the leadership of the JD(S), Harish Gowda said, Nikhil Kumaraswamy should become the state president.
“Neither former prime minister H D Deve Gowda nor Kumaraswamy or Nikhil himself have this ambition. However, JD(S) MLAs wish to make Nikhil the state president. Our dream is to see Nikhil as CM in future. Just as Kumaraswamy strengthened the party after Deve Gowda, Nikhil will continue. Nikhil will tour Mysuru in August,” Gowda said.