Kalaburagi: The Kalaburagi Lok Sabha seat has drawn nationwide attention with Congress MLA Dr Umesh Jadhav all set to take on veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge after his defection to the saffron party. Interestingly, the constituency is also witnessing a high decibel fight between the District In-charge Minister and Kharge senior's son Priyank Kharge who has donned battlegear for his father, and Dr Jadhav himself.
Mr Priyank, who was targeted by Dr Jadhav after the latter made up his mind to quit the Congress, has now launched a no-holds barred campaign against his former colleague to humble him not only in Kalaburagi LS constituency, but also in Chincholi Assembly constituency which is the home turf of Dr Jadhav and where a by-election could be held in a few months.
With a view to assure party workers that the Congress has not become weaker following the desertion of Dr Jadhav, the entire district unit led by Mr Priyank and former Medical Education Minister Dr Sharanprakash Patil organised a 'Congress Shakti Pradarshana Samavesha' at Chincholi town. Mr Priyank made a blistering attack on Dr Jadhav accusing him of selling himself to the BJP for Rs 50 crore. Meanwhile Dr Jadhav hit back challenging Mr Priyank to contest from Chincholi in the by-election and threatened to sue him for "levelling baseless charges".
"Dr Jadhav has said that he is ready to swear in the name of god to prove that he has not been offered money for changing his loyalty. If he is so honest, let him swear in the name of voters who are the real gods in a democracy", Mr Priyank said.He also accused Dr Jadhav of betraying the Congress which had made him a legislator twice besides appointing him as the Political Secretary to the Chief Minister and offering him the chairmanship of a corporation.
Strongly refuting the allegation by Mr Priyank that he had taken money and joined the BJP, Dr Jadhav challenged the minister to swear in the name of his son and daughter. "I accept the challenge from Mr Priyank and I am ready to swear at the samadhi of my father and mother and also in the name of voters," Dr Jadhav asserted.
