Amidst the rebellion in the Congress in Karnataka’s Mandya, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy had made an emotional speech while campaigning for his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy. “Wait and watch. The votes of those who are seen with Nikhil’s opponent (referring to Independent candidate, actor Sumalatha) will also come to the JD(S).”
As phase 2 of the elections near, looks like Chief Minister Kumaraswamy is trying to ensure that the rebelling Congress party workers do not end up supporting Sumalatha. The JD(S) has now pulled out the big guns and got Congress President Rahul Gandhi to campaign for Nikhil on Saturday.
Rahul Gandhi is all set to become the star campaigner for Nikhil Kumaraswamy as he is slated to address a joint rally of the Congress and JD(S) in Mandya’s KR Nagar on Saturday. JD(S) insiders say that the decision to hold the joint rally in KR Nagar was a strategic one. “KR Nagar constituents have openly shown their support for Sumalatha and the rally is going to be held there to break into Sumalatha’s stronghold,” the JD(S) leader added.
Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has been actively campaigning for Nikhil over the last two days in Mandya as Sumalatha’s election campaign in the interior villages was gaining ground. This, after several Congress leaders and party workers openly campaigned for Sumalatha and waved Congress flags during her election campaign. Unwilling to take any chances with the rebel Congress party workers swinging to the opposition’s camp, Kumaraswamy has personally invited Rahul Gandhi to campaign for his son in KR Nagar.
Congress leaders and party workers have rebelled in Mandya as they are unwilling to support a candidate of their arch rival in the region, JD(S). In Mandya, that the Congress and JD(S) have always been bitter enemies and Congress party workers are not willing to support Nikhil Kumaraswamy now.
Sources in the Congress say that Rahul Gandhi’s rally in Mandya is being done as a show of unity among coalition partners. Despite forming a pre-poll alliance, several Congress leaders from Mandya including Cheluvarayaswamy and Ravindra Babu had openly refused to campaign for Nikhil. Although a few other leaders had not expressed solidarity with Sumalatha, they, too, had refrained from campaigning for the JD(S)’s candidate.
However, with Rahul Gandhi’s arrival, the rebel leaders are now being forced to participate in the election rally and support Nikhil.
JD(S) insiders say that the party is eager to bring in Deve Gowda and Rahul Gandhi to campaign for Nikhil, especially since Prime Minister Narendra Modi had openly offered his support to Sumalatha during an election rally in Mysuru on Tuesday.