Mysore/Mysuru: KPCC Spokesperson Tejaswini Gowda said that it is the people of Mysuru-Kodagu Lok Sabha Constituency who should decide whether they want a Royalty or a Commoner as their MP. Addressing a press meet here yesterday, Tejaswini Gowda said that she too was a BJP ticket aspirant for Mysuru-Kodagu  seat as she had served the BJP quite well. But she was not given the ticket as the BJP was out to finish off Vokkaligas who are a dominant community here.

The BJP, which nominated Sudha Murty to Rajya Sabha, should have nominated Yaduveer Wadiyar too, she argued.

Asserting that the Vokkaliga community is numerically stronger in old Mysuru region, she said that JD(S) leader H.D. Kumarawamy’s quota as a Vokkaliga leader has ended after having been the Chief Minister twice, the first time with BJP support and the second time with Congress support. The community cannot expect much from such a wavering leader, she said adding that the BJP is an anti-Vokkaliga party as it has denied the ticket to strong community leaders such as D.V. Sadananda Gowda, C.T. Ravi and Prathap Simha.

Alleging that the BJP, which speaks much about Hindutva, did not take measures for hiking the ‘tasdik’ allowance to Muzrai temple priests, Tejaswini wanted to know where the funds that were released for Mysuru city under different heads have gone.

She also took pot-shots at the BJP by questioning why Tamil Nadu BJP Chief Annamalai, a former IPS Officer, was campaigning in the State when he had opposed Mekedatu Drinking Water Project.