Mysore/Mysuru: Dismissing the claims that he had ‘booked’ Chamundeshwari Congress candidate Mavinahalli Siddegowda as a fiction of imagination, Chamundeshwari MLA and JD(S) candidate G.T. Devegowda (GTD) said he was not the one to ‘book’ anyone.

Speaking to presspersons at his residence in Vontikoppal yesterday, GTD said Siddegowda is a known cheater. “I had put in  efforts to make Siddegowda as APMC President, MyMUL President etc., when he was in the JD(S). But he cheated me and left me to join the Congress, along with four of his associates, who are known as ‘Pancha Pandavas.’ I have stopped talking to them after they left me and as such there is no question of ‘booking’ Congress candidate Mavinahalli Siddegowda,” he maintained, adding that Siddegowda was not  trustworthy.

Replying to purported remarks of former CM Siddharamaiah that he made a mistake by giving the Chamundeshwari Congress ticket to Siddegowda, GTD said he had warned Siddharamaiah of Siddegowda’s questionable loyalty. But Siddharamaiah trusted Siddegowda and gave him the Congress ticket, he said adding that Siddu must now have realised the duplicity of Siddegowda. On whether Siddharamaiah erred in allotting Chamundeshwari Congress ticket to Siddegowda, he said Siddu has surely erred.