JD(S), Cong call Vishwanath 'politician without ethics'

Both Congress and JD(S) leaders targeted BJP candidate A H Vishwanath, calling him ‘a politician without values’. This was done during the bypoll campaign in Hunsur, on Sunday.

JD(S) Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao campaigned for their candidates in Hunsur. Prajwal Revanna, who campaigned for the JD(S) candidate Devarahalli Somashekar, criticised Vishwanath for praising JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda.

“Vishwanath has no ethics. Voters are not fools to elect him again. Praising Deve Gowda and Opposition leader Siddaramaiah will never help him to get people’s support,” Prajwal said.

Recalling Vishwanath’s earlier statement that he will keep Deve Gowda’s photo in his puja room, Prajwal pointed out that it was the same Vishwanath who ignored Gowda’s advice and quit the party.

“Now, he is using Deve Gowda’s and Siddaramaiah’s names for votes. Will people believe him if he says that he worships Deve Gowda?” he questioned.

MLA H D Revanna, who was also on a campaign tour, claimed that Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa is not campaigning in Mysuru region, for fear of defeat.

Similarly, Dinesh Gundu Rao slammed Vishwanath stating that being a senior leader, Vishwanath has lost his values after he joined BJP. “He enjoyed power in Congress and emerged a powerful leader in the state. But, he quit the party for a silly reason,” Rao said.

“Vishwanath, who termed BJP a communal party when he was in Congress, has now joined BJP out of political greed. Vishwanath betrayed JD(S) despite H D Deve Gowda gave him political rebirth. Though Vishwanath was made an MLA and the party’s state unit president, he was not satisfied. He quit the party to be a minister in BJP cabinet,” Gundu Rao ridiculed.

Rao also took severe exception to BJP leaders for projecting Siddaramaiah as a loner in Congress. The party and the leaders are with Siddaramaiah. The party leaders are actively involved in the campaign for byelections. Congress party leaders G Parameshwara and D K Shivakumar are suffering from ill health and will campaign for the party candidates soon, Gundu Rao claimed.

AHV slams Congress

Vishwanath charged Dinesh Gundu Rao and said that the JD(S)-Congress coalition government would not have toppled if the Congress leaders had values.

“I did not join BJP to be a minister. But, due to the failure of the coalition government. I want to work for people,” he said.

Vishwanath added that he aims to make Hunsur a district to improve the infrastructure of the place and not for political power. “I have been working for this for one year. The district will be named after former chief minister D Devaraj Urs,” he added.

Health Minister B Sriramulu campaigned for Vishwanath in various villages in the segment.