BJP-JDS party workers believe Congress is the future: DKS

Bengaluru : Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC President DK Shivakumar on Monday said that BJP and JDS party workers have realised that their future lies only with the Congress party.

Speaking to reporters at Vidhana Soudha, he said, “Look at the voting numbers in the last assembly elections and this by-election. As many as 50,000 votes have changed hands in Shiggavi. The Congress candidate in Channapatna had secured 15,000 votes in the last election but that number has gone up to 1.12 lakh votes this time. How can such tectonic shift happen without the support of BJP and JD(S) voters?” He was replying to a question whether BJP and JDS supported the Congress in the by-election.

Asked why the BJP was protesting on the Waqf issue though it started issuing notices to farmers during its tenure, he said, “They only want publicity. The more they protest the better it is as we can expose their dual nature. The BJP is doing this to cover up the internal bickering in the party. The people have taught them a good lesson.”

Asked about growing faction politics in the BJP, he said, “They have to sort out their internal matter. For us BJP is one unit no matter how many factions they have. JDS is also part of BJP in our perspective.”

Asked about Nikhil Kumaraswamy attributing his defeat to lack of Muslim support, he said, “How will Muslims support if Kumaraswamy joins hands with the BJP. NDA hasn’t taken Muslims into confidence. Does NDA give tickets to Muslims? They have even taken away the reservation for Muslims. They don’t have any moral right to seek Muslim votes.” When pointed out to the JDS’ tweet that Congress party was on the decline in the country, he said, “Let them look inside about their own downfall. Congress party has strong foundations, nothing will happen to it.”

Asked about Ashok’s statement that DK Shivakumar doesn’t become a Vokkaliga leader just because he won Channapatna, he said, “I haven’t claimed to be a leader. Let him say how many votes he got in Kanakapura contesting as a sitting minister.”

When drawn his attention to Yogeshwar’s statement that he would bring JDS MLAs in less than a month if the Congress high command gives a go ahead, he said he was not aware of such a statement. Asked if Congress would carry out an operation to induct JDS MLA G T Deve Gowda, he said, “He is a senior leader. He is the Chairman of the Party Core Committee and has contributed significantly to JDS. We had extended an invitation to him, but he did not join as Kumaraswamy had apparently made an offer to make him a CM. He must be sad to see how he is treated in the party.”

Asked about a Lokayukta report that 144 files of Muda were not available, he said, “I don’t know about the report. How can the files go missing just like that. It must be somewhere. I don’t think such a thing can happen as movement of files is monitored.”

Asked about Home Minister Parameshwara’s accusation that EVMs have been hacked in Maharashtra, he said, “Parameshwar has said it. Shiva Sena leaders in Maharashtra are also saying that. I am visiting Delhi in a few days and I will discuss it there. This is a national issue.”