Mysore/Mysuru: CM Siddaramaiah played the Vokkaliga card to target the BJP during his poll campaign for Mysuru-Kodagu LS Seat Congress candidate M. Lakshmana at Hebbal in the city on Tuesday.

Arguing that the BJP had denied the ticket to sitting MP Prathap Simha for lying, Siddaramaiah said the Congress has given the party ticket to Lakshmana, a Vokkaliga, who is a native of Mysuru district.

Animal Husbandry Minister K. Venkatesh, who also addressed the poll campaign, dropped a bombshell when he said that JD(S) Supremo and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda played a key role in the denial of ticket to Prathap Simha, as Deve Gowda wanted Royal family titular head Yaduveer to contest the polls from Mysuru-Kodagu seat on a BJP ticket, as this would also benefit the JD(S) in the neighbouring Constituencies of Mandya and Hassan.

Maintaining that Deve Gowda pressed for Yaduveer’s candidature during his meeting with top BJP leaders, Venkatesh wondered how could Yaduveer get the BJP ticket when he was not in the race at all. Reiterating that Deve Gowda batted strongly for the candidature of Yaduveer as his (Yaduveer) contest would also benefit JD(S) candidates in neighbouring Mandya and Hassan, where his (Deve Gowda) son and grandson are contesting from.

Venkatesh further said that Simha was a migrant from Hassan, while the Congress candidate M. Lakshmana was a native Vokkaliga leader from Mysuru district.