The ruling coalition in Karnataka on Tuesday addressed a joint press conference to signal that the top leadership of the two parties were united despite murmurs of discontent. But in the press meet addressed by former PM HD Deve Gowda, CM HD Kumaraswamy, former CM Siddaramaiah, Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar and KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao, conspicuous by his absence was Deputy CM G Parameshwara.
Soon, the BJP questioned Parameshwara’s absence. Taking to Twitter, the Karnataka unit of the party tweeted, “Alas! Congress-JDS leaders tried to send a message of unity by holding a joint press conference. But Deputy CM @DrParameshwara, who is the face of Congress in the coalition government, skipped the crucial meeting. It was like a marriage without bride.”
Alas! Congress-JDS leaders tried to send a message of unity by holding joint press conference. But Deputy CM @DrParameshwara, who is the face of Congress in coalition government, skipped the crucial meeting. It was like a marriage without bride.
— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) March 19,
The BJP’s barb comes in the light of Parameshwara being vocal about his displeasure that the JD(S) was allotted the Tumakuru seat despite the Congress’ SP Muddahanumegowda having won from there in 2014. Parameshwara himself is from Tumakuru and according to political observers, the allotment of the seat had become a prestige issue between him and former CM Siddaramaiah. This especially as Siddharamiah had wrested away the Mysuru-Kodagu seat from the JD(S). The JD(S) is traditionally strong in Mysuru, but this time the Congress will contest from
"We have a sitting MP. In principle, during our screening committee meeting, we had made a resolution that all the 10 sitting MPs should be given (tickets). After that, during meetings between Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda, Tumakuru was given to them," Parameshwara had said on March 15.
However, the tweet from the opposition party prompted an instant response. Parameshwara said that he could not attend Tuesday’s press conference due to prior commitments.
He tweeted, “I could not be present at the joint press conference by Congress & JD(S) as I had to attend a pre-scheduled family event today. Senior leaders from both the parties have held several pre-election meetings to device a road map for elections. Congress and JD(S) will campaign together in Karnataka to make sure BJP does not win in Karnataka.”
ಕುಟುಂಬದಲ್ಲಿ ಪೂರ್ವ ನಿಯೋಜಿತ ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮವಿದ್ದ ಕಾರಣ ಇಂದು ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್- ಜೆಡಿಎಸ್ ಪಕ್ಷದ ಜಂಟಿ ಸುದ್ದಿಗೋಷ್ಠಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾಗವಹಿಸಲು ಸಾಧ್ಯವಾಗಿಲ್ಲ.ಮೈತ್ರಿ ಪಕ್ಷದ ಹಿರಿಯ ನಾಯಕರೆಲ್ಲಾ ಸೇರಿ ಚುನಾವಣೆಯ ಸಂಬಂಧ ಹಲವು ಸಭೆ ನಡೆಸಿ ರಣತಂತ್ರ ರೂಪಿಸಿದ್ದೇವೆ. ಅಂತೆಯೇ ಜಂಟಿಯಾಗಿ ಚುನಾವಣೆಗೆ ದುಡಿಯಲಿದ್ದೇವೆ.#ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ_ಪ್ರಗತಿಗಾಗಿ_ಮೈತ್ರಿ
— Dr. G Parameshwara (@DrParameshwara) March 19, 2019
The top brass of the Congress and JD(S) announced that a joint campaign across 28 seats in the state will start through a rally addressed by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda on March 31.
Deve Gowda told reporters, “We will not only ensure that we retain the seats we won in 2014, but to also gain from the BJP. We will not allow the BJP to reach the double-digit mark."