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R Ashoka, Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly, on Monday, dismissed the reports of a tussle between the BJP and the JD(S) over the Channapatna Assembly seat for the coming by-election.
He said that the NDA will take a decision over the seat soon. "There is no tussle or anything over the Channapatna Assembly seat. I discussed this with Kumaraswamy for 2 hours. He is a good friend; there is no problem," Ashoka told ANI. "We will clear the symbol today or tomorrow morning--whether it is JDS or BJP. That will be decided by the NDA. Kumaraswamy is also a major stakeholder in this seat," he added. On Sunday, Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy asserted that certain individuals were conspiring to create a rift between JD(S) and BJP over the Channapatna Assembly seat to benefit the Congress candidate. Their plans, however, will not succeed, he added. Channapatna will go for by-polls on November 13. The seat fell vacant after the election of its representative, JD(S) state President H D Kumaraswamy, to Lok Sabha from the Mandya parliamentary segment. Speaking to the media after inspecting a paddy field in Sitapura village of Mandya district, Kumaraswamy responded to a query about CP Yogeshwar's rumoured nomination in Channapatna. He clarified, "We have already fielded a member of our own family as the BJP candidate for the Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha constituency. I hope our allies will reciprocate this generosity, and I trust they will." Addressing the speculation about Yogeshwar's potential candidature, Kumaraswamy mentioned, "There has been no discussion with me regarding this. I have not been informed, and there has been no proposal presented before me. I have only seen reports in the media." When asked about Congress leaders allegedly meeting Yogeshwar, Kumaraswamy commented, "For the past fifteen days, rumours have been circulating that he might run as an independent candidate. Congress is eagerly waiting to bring him into their fold. Their goal is to create a division between us," he criticised. Kumaraswamy accused Congress of waiting for an opportunity to cause discord within the NDA alliance. "Congress cannot win independently in Channapatna, which is why they are working hard to create a rift. I have been patient to ensure they don't get that chance. We still have four days left. We will have discussions, and a final decision will be made by Tuesday or Wednesday," he stated. He also emphasised that there are no issues at the Delhi level regarding the Channapatna ticket, as he has represented the constituency for the past two terms. Kumaraswamy further explained that the JD(S) matter regarding Channapatna is being handled at the national level. "Of the three by-election constituencies, JD(S) has a strong presence in Channapatna. With victory in mind, we gave up the Bengaluru rural seat to the BJP, where we fielded a family member as the candidate. Now, we expect the BJP to show similar generosity," he said. (ANI)
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