'Late list disclosure contributed to losses'

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru

Leader of the Opposition (LOP) in the Assembly R Ashok on Saturday conceded that the late declaration of candidates was one of the main reasons for losses in the Sandur, Shiggaon and Channapatna by-elections. He also asserted that the incumbent party held a natural advantage in bypolls, adding that Congress had also made use of massive money power to cross the finish line. The latter was a claim echoed by BJP MP from Haveri Basavaraj Bommai, whose son Bharath lost in Shiggaon to Congress candidate Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan. “Be it Shiggaon or Channapatna, we decided on the candidates in the last stage. Even in Shiggaon, Bommai said he wouldn’t field his son.

(HD) Kumaraswamy had said the same thing. That was also a minus point. In Sandur, we tried and (Bangaru) Hanumanthu put up a good fight. Nikhil Kumaraswamy is unlucky, it would appear. We had hoped he would emerge as Arjuna (one of the heroes of the epic Mahabharata). However, people have given the role of Abhimanyu (Arjuna’s son who died tragically),” Ashok said. “However, the incumbent Congress spent big money in all three elections. The likes of contractors and officials worked for them."