Bengaluru: Following decisive victories in the Bengaluru Rural and Mandya Lok Sabha seats, former Chief Minister and State JDS President HD Kumaraswamy criticised Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, asserting that the wins were the result of the hard work of party workers, not black magic.
Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, Kumaraswamy stated, "The Bengaluru Rural seat was secured thanks to the blessings of the people and the dedication of BJP and JD(S) workers, not because of any Bhairavi Yagna.”
Shivakumar had indirectly accused Kumaraswamy of performing a yagna against the Congress government and sacrificing animals in Kerala. In response, Kumaraswamy emphasized, "Our victory did not come from sacrificing buffalo, sheep, or goat. It was achieved through the hard work of our party workers. The Congress candidates were defeated even in the native places of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and DyCM Shivakumar."
Kumaraswamy also highlighted the significant support he received in Mandya. "The people have strongly supported me in Mandya, rejecting the Congress party’s attempts to win through financial power. Mandya is the source of my strength. Thanks to the efforts of JD(S) and BJP workers, our candidate in Kolar has also emerged victorious," he added.
Dr CN Manjunath, Kumaraswamy’s brother-in-law, was fielded as the BJP candidate from Bengaluru Rural against DyCM Shivakumar’s brother, DK Suresh. Kumaraswamy won with a significant margin of 2.84 lakh votes, while Manjunath led by 2.68 lakh votes over Suresh.