Mysuru: Disqualified MLA A.H. Vishwanath continued to encounter hostility as he campaigned in yet another village of Hunsur taluk for the coming bypoll, on Friday.
Far from being welcomed by the people of Heggandur village, who had elected him in 2018 when he contested the assembly polls as a Janata Dal (Secular) candidate, he was attacked for being a turncoat and quitting the party to join the Bharatiya Janata Party a mere 14 months after being elected.
The villagers complained he had done nothing for their welfare in the time that he was their MLA and objected to BJP leader, C P Yogeshwar , who accompanied him, pleading for their votes.
Mr Vishwanath had encountered similar anger from the people of Shravanahalli, Kolgatta and Doddahejjuru villages in Hunsur taluk during his campaign there.
Meanwhile, the JD(S) had to contend with the absence of its Chamundeswari MLA, G.T. Devegowda, who continued to ignore the Hunsur bypoll and chose to instead inaugurate a slew of projects in his constituency neighbouring it on Friday.
The JD(S) leader, who has remained aloof from all party activities, including the bypolls, inaugurated buildings of the Milk Producers Cooperative Society in Udbur, Daaripura and Jaypura, and laid the foundation stone for a community hall, and so on in Chamundeswari constituency on Friday and on Thursday, laid the foundation stone for a gram panchayat office, among other things in Bogadi.
He is , however, keeping to his word of staying neutral in the elections. Mr Devegowda had recently announced that he would stay away from the bypolls although leaders from all parties had sought his support in Hunsur and focus only on the development of his Chamundeswari constituency for now.
Soon afterwards, BJP leader, V Sriramulu set tongues wagging by claiming he expected “good news” shortly from the JD(S) leader, whose son, Harish Gowda too asked people to wait for 10 days for his father's next move.
