Siddaramaiah: Even Eshwarappa wants BJP to lose poll!

Making sure there is no hiccup in the public sympathy she enjoys following the death of her husband, , the late minister, H C Mahadevprasad, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah claimed on Monday that Ms  Geetha Mahadevprasad had to be forced to contest the Gundulpet bypoll despite her grief.

Addressing one of his many road shows in the constituency, in Chikkaati village , he said,  "We (Congress leaders) forced Ms Geetha Mahadevprasad to contest the byelection. Although she is still grieving, she is out campaigning. If  Mahadevprasad's soul has to rest in peace, you must vote for his wife for the overall development of the constituency. Only his family can replace him."

Moving on to attack  the BJP, he said  the word "lie" was born with its leaders, B.S. Yeddyurappa and  Eshwarappa. "Even Eshwarappa wants the BJP to lose, as he is not on good terms with his party chief," he claimed.

As for Mr Yeddyurappa, he said he had no  right to campaign in Gundulpet as he did not visit Chamrajanagar when he was Chief Minister, as he believed in the story that all Chief Ministers who visited it were  jinxed and lost power soon afterwards. "I have visited Chamarajanagar eight times and have, in fact,  become stronger since. But Mr Yeddyurappa ,who did not visit Chamarajnagar even once when he was CM,  lost power. If he still hesitates to visit Chamarajnagar, he has no  right to campaign in Gundlupet," he thundered, however adding that he was not there to criticise the BJP, but win votes on the basis of Mr Mahadevprasad's past performance.  

Mr Siddaramaiah campaigned in 23 villages of Gundlupet constituency, accompanied by Minister M B Patil and others.