Davanagere south bypoll: Siddaramaiah highlights guarantees, slams JD(S) record

CHief government minister Siddaramaiah on mon used the Davanagere due south bye-election run to question the continued prominence of the Deve Gowda family in politics, arguing that electoral outcomes should carry greater weight than lineage.He added that participation in public life was legitimate when it reflected people’s support, but added that persisting with family-based politics despite repeated electoral setbacks raises larger questions.“JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda’s two sons, daughters-in-law, and four grandchildren are in politics. No one among the people wanted the son of Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy to contest the Channapatna by-election. They have not learned a lesson even after being rejected by the voters,” he said.Siddaramaiah referred to the party’s past electoral performance to underline his point, noting that it had not regained the level of success it once enjoyed. “In 2004, when I was the president, the JD(S) won in 59 constituencies in the state. Since then, the JD(S) has never been able to win that many seats. In 2023, the party’s strength dwindled to 19. To save their existence, the father and sons have joined hands with the BJP. They have no moral right left to criticize me,” he said.Turning to the BJP, he questioned both governance and individual roles within the party. “V Somanna is the Minister of State for Railways. He has no opportunity to function independently. As far as I know, no files come to him. Leader of Opposition in the legislative council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, was previously in the Congress and gained opportunities. Now he has gone to the BJP to reap benefits,” he said.The chief minister said the Congress would rely on its welfare programmes to appeal to voters in the bypoll. “Despite however many allegations and false propaganda the BJP spreads, the people have appreciated the five guarantee schemes. We are asking for votes in the by-election by keeping the ‘guarantees’ at the forefront. The BJP, which ruled the state for nine years, has done no development. With what face are you asking for votes?” he said.Responding to criticism from HD Kumaraswamy on industrial development, Siddaramaiah dismissed the claim with a remark: “One who cannot mount the horse given to him is neither a hero nor a warrior.”He also referred to the campaign schedule of BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan, noting that the minister had been engaged in election work outside the state and would also be campaigning in Bagalkot.Khan, who had earlier stayed away from the Davanagere campaign, joined efforts on Sunday after returning from Kerala, where he had been overseeing election work in multiple districts. He visited the Shamanur family residence and later addressed a joint press conference with S.S. Mallikarjun.Addressing reports of friction within the party, Khan said there was no lasting disagreement. “Mallikarjun may have said something like we do not need Khan here to campaign for us in Davangere. He may have said it in anger or jest. I think it is natural. I might say the same thing if he is to come to my constituency of Chamarajpet. But I do not take such things to heart. I have no ill will against him or his family. I will campaign for the Congress candidate seriously,” he said.He said his earlier absence was due to responsibilities in Kerala. “I was in charge of the campaign in 10 districts in Kerala. I came here on the instructions of chief minister Siddaramaiah,” he said.Khan also addressed concerns raised by sections of the Muslim community over ticket allocation. “When I came to Davanagere a few months ago, the Muslim community demanded a ticket for the by-election. I promised that I would bring this to the notice of our high command. This created some confusion. Naturally, when the ticket was given to Samarth, some people got upset. There are still four days left for voting. We will fix everything,” he said.He added that he would reach out to leaders who felt excluded, including MLC Abdul Jabbar, and try to bring them into the campaign. Referring to past election results, he said multiple candidates from the community had received limited support, underscoring the need for consolidation.SS Mallikarjun said there was no confusion within the party and that campaign activities were proceeding as planned.