‘Blame Mysuru poll loss on BJP leaders’

Shilpa. P

Mysuru: Senior BJP leader and MLC Adagur H Vishwanath has alleged that some BJP leaders are responsible for the defeat of Mysuru- Chamarajnagar MLC candidate Mr Kautilya Raghu in the recent Council elections.

Speaking to media persons on Friday, Mr Vishwanath, said, “some BJP leaders of Mysuru are functioning like JD(S) agents and have worked for the JD(S) in this election. The names of these leaders will come out soon. Also the fund for the election has not been distributed properly”, he said assessing the reasons for the defeat of Raghu.

On allegations that contractors have to pay 40 percent commission under BJP rule, Mr Vishwanath said, “if the Lokayukta existed, former CM Siddaramaiah would have gone to jail in the Arkavathi Re-do case, just like B.S. Yeddyurappa. As BSY went to jail when he was CM, Siddaramaiah wanted to avoid this and shut down the Lokayukta,” he said.

Continuing in the same vein, he said, “Instead of speaking outside the Assembly session, Siddaramaiah and D.K. Shivakumar who are experienced, should have sought an inquiry during the Assembly proceedings with adequate evidences into the 40 percent commission allegation. It was when Siddaramaiah was CM that Shivakumar cleared a Rs 7000 crore worth solar tender in three minutes. He was also also involved in the Arkavathi Re-do scandal. Along with the allegation of 40 percent commission against the BJP, there should be a probe into the Arkavathi re-do also. Referring to several other corruption charges against Congress leaders, he said, “if they were truthful, they should speak against the others. They should not throw stones sitting in a glass house.”

Kautilya Raghu refused to react to Vishwanath’s statement on the reason for his defeat in the recent MLC election and said, “I do not know what Mr Vishwanth means by his statement. An informal alliance of the Congress and JD(S) might have led to my defeat,” he said.