D.K. Suresh, Congress candidate in Bengaluru Rural constituency, on Thursday took a dig at cardiac surgeon C.N. Manjunath for his electoral entry through the BJP and asked if former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda’s son-in-law realised that the JD(S) was “not good enough” to contest Lok Sabha elections from against the Congress. Dr. Manjunath, nominated as BJP candidate from the BJP on Wednesday, will face Mr. Suresh in Bengaluru Rural.
Speaking to reporters here, Mr. Suresh, MP and brother of Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar, said he was not surprised by the electoral entry of Dr. Manjunath, former director of Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology, Bengaluru.
“Dr. Manjunath realised that Mr. Deve Gowda and Mr. Kumaraswamy’s party is not good enough to contest elections,” he said. However, calling Dr. Manjunath’s entry into politics an extension of Mr. Deve Gowda family, he said: “I welcome his entry into politics. I will take him on politically.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Kumaraswamy said Mr. Suresh spoke ill of Dr. Manjunath due to “fear of defeat” in the Lok Sabha polls.
Hitting out at Mr Suresh, the JD(S) leader directly addressed Mr. Suresh on social media platform X and said: “What morality do you have to speak about Deve Gowda’s family? The entire State Congress party is captive of your family. Your elder brother is Deputy Chief Minister, your sister’s husband is MLC (S. Ravi), while another relative is Kunigal MLA (H.D. Ranganath). Is this family politics or family package?”.
