Bengaluru: “Wherever (Modi) goes, (he) says Congress will not get 40 seats (in Lok Sabha polls). Does any of you agree with this? If we get 40 seats, will Modi hang himself at Vijay Chowk in Delhi?” asked senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge yesterday, sparking a major row.
Speaking at a rally in support of Congress candidate for the Chincholi Assembly bypoll in Karnataka Subash Rathod, Kharge said it was in the hands of the people to write the future of the country and not in Modi or BJP’s hands.
Although Modi claims to be from backward community, he always helps only the super rich accused the Congress leader.
Reacting to his remarks, Shobha Karandlaje, Senior BJP leader and MP, demanded an apology from Kharge. She said, “Blatant lies, fake allegations, derogatory remarks have become common with hollow Congress, nothing progressive! He should apologise!”
On 19 May, Chincholi and Kundgol Assembly constituency are going to bypoll. The by-poll to Chincholi has been necessitated by the resignation of sitting member Umesh Jadhav, who quit Congress and joined the BJP to contest the recent Lok Sabha polls from Gulbarga. Following the death of Minister C S Shivalli, the Kundgol seat fell vacant.
The main contest in this bypoll will be between the nominees of the Congress, which held the seats, and the BJP. The Congress candidates are Subash Rathod in Chincholi and Kusumavathi, Shivalli’s wife, in Kundgol.
BJP has fielded S I Chikkanagowdar and Avinash Jadhav from Kundgol and Chincholi Assembly seats, respectively. Seventeen candidates are in the fray from Chincholi and eight from Kundgol. The results will be declared on 23 May, along with that of Lok Sabha poll.