JOIN USUdupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Shobha Karandlaje on Sunday asserted that the forthcoming elections to Zilla and Taluk Panchayats will be a litmus test for Congress party, especially Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
She told reporters here: “It has been the worst government ever with ant-incumbency feeling fast pervading among the people from the last two years. The achievement of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is zero.”
“The results of Legislative Council election, in which gram panchayat members form a major chunk of voters, may not have any direct impact on the government. But the Zilla and Taluk Panchayat elections that could be held in January will have a bearing on the government.”
Continuing her tirade against the chief minister, Karandlaje said, “Though Siddaramaiah represented Varuna assembly constituency earlier too, he had failed to ensure adequate water supply to the people. It was during the tenure of BJP government in the State that 53 villages were provided water under a scheme in the constituency.”
Taking exception to Siddaramaiah’s recent appeal to voters to only cast first preferential votes for the party’s nominee, Karandlaje said, “It is against the democratic principles. Moreover, the chief minister is under fear of suffering drawback in the election.”
To a question on why outsiders (as Raghu was with Congress earlier and Hulinaykar a sitting MLC from Janata Dal (Secular) is seeking re-election on a BJP ticket from Tumakuru district) are being favoured when there were eligible candidates within the party, Karandlaje said, “It’s our strategy to induct the rival party candidate and pit him/her against the party they belonged to earlier.”