Deve Gowda Lost as Cash Meant to Lure Voters Was Used for BJP Candidate Instead, Says Congress Report

The Tumakuru unit of the Congress has revealed in its report to the high command that the cash the grand old party gave to its leaders to lure voters towards JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda was diverted to garner votes for the BJP candidate in the constituency.

Blaming Gowda’s shock defeat in the seat on “internal sabotage”, the report named several leaders and accused them of working for the BJP candidate, the Deccan Herald reported. The unit pointed to this as one of the primary reasons behind the BJP’s gain in the Madhugiri assembly constituency where it had polled just about 2,500 votes in the assembly polls last year.

The local leaders said the report had been prepared based on visits to the constituency and information received.

The fight in Tumkur was also seen as battle between - Lingayats and Vokkaligas - two dominant communities in Karnataka to which both Basavaraj and Gowda belong to respectively.

Gowda, the joint candidate of ruling Congress-JDS coalition, chose to contest from Tumkur at the last minute, after vacating Hassan-his home tuft, to grandson Prajwal Revanna. It is also said Gowda, who had indicated about his retirement from electoral politics, reluctantly decided to contest, due to pressure from the party workers.

Congress had ceded Tumkur seat to JD(S) as per the seat-sharing arrangement, denying ticket to sitting MP Muddahanumegowda, causing resentment within. Even though Muddahanumegowda, who had filed his nomination as a rebel had withdrawn his papers, there were doubts regarding Congress complete support to Gowda as many still considered him as an outsider.