Defeat BJP’s Avinash Jadhav, teach Umesh Jadhav a lesson, says Siddaramaiah

Kalaburagi: Calling former Chincholi MLA Umesh Jadhav, a “gomukha vygra” (wolf in sheep’s skin), former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday appealed to voters of the constituency to teach him a lesson by defeating his son and BJP candidate, Dr Avinash Jadhav in the byelection. Addressing a series of public meetings in Chincholi taluk, Mr Siddaramaiah tore Dr Jadhav apart for “betraying” the Congress, which had given him political birth and joining the BJP. “Dr Jadhav, who was introduced to politics by (the late) Mr Dharam Singh and Mr Mallikarjun Kharge, is an ungrateful fellow as he contested against Mr Kharge himself. I thought he was a decent chap, but he has turned out to be a gomukha vyagra. He betrayed the party which gave him political birth for personal gain, which is almost as bad as betraying one's own mother. The Jadhav family will be thrown out on the streets after the elections as both Dr Jadhav and his son will be defeated,” he declared.

The former CM also questioned the propriety of Dr Jadhav's decision to join the saffron party, which was against the concept of social justice and bent on changing the Constitution. “Has Dr Jadhav told you why he joined BJP? He never told me. People blessed him for a second term as the Congress government led by me helped him carry out development work. But he deceived the people and now his son is contesting the by-election. Should such individuals be supported? Don't give them a single vote,” he thundered.

Mr Kharge, who joined him in the campaigning, took Dr Jadhav to task for foisting a by-election on the people of Chincholi without any valid reason. "Dr Jadhav, who was a government employee, was given a Congress ticket and elected twice. He was made political secretary to the CM and his brother, Narasingh Jadhav was given Assembly ticket twice. Even after the Congress gave your family members tickets ten times, you still say the party was unjust to you?” he asked.