It's Muddahanumegowda vs Somanna in Tumkur: Rajanna

Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna said on Thursday that Congress' S P Muddahanumegowda will lock horns with V Somanna of BJP in Tumkur segment for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Interestingly, both the Congress and the BJP have not finalised their candidates for the Tumkur Lok Sabha seat.

Speaking to reporters here, Rajanna said, "I have information that the BJP will issue Tumkur ticket to V Somanna. The Congress will field Muddahanumegowda."

Former Congress MP Muddahanumegowda, who had joined the BJP after he was denied renomination in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, was re-inducted into the Congress only last month.

On the Dalit CM issue, Rajanna said "H C Mahadevappa has done nothing wrong (in raising the demand for a Dalit CM). Parameshwara should be made chief minister, if there is a change of guard."

Saying that it has nothing to do with the quashing of cases against D K Shivakumar, Rajanna said, "We have been demanding that a Dalit be made CM for so many years now. We will continue to raise the issue till a Dalit is appointed. We are not stopping Shivakumar from becoming the CM," Rajanna said.