Karnataka: Ahead Of Assembly Election, BJP Leader HD Thammaiah And His Supporters Join Congress

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) DK Shivakumar welcomed Thammaiah and his followers

BJP leader from Chikkamagluru joins HD Thammaiah (R) Congress.

Ahead of the Assembly elections in Karnataka, HD Tammaiah, a BJP leader along with his supporters joined Congress in Bengaluru on Sunday. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) DK Shivakumar welcomed Thammaiah and his followers. 

"Many leaders of BJP met me voluntarily. They wanted a change in Chikkamagaluru, 12-13 members applied for tickets. We're admitting all second-hand leaders. It is a trend now, they look at big leaders, and we look at leaders that work at booth level," DK Shivakumar said as quoted by news agency ANI.

HD Thammaiah, BJP Leader along with supporters joined congress at the Congress office in Bengaluru. DK Shivakumar welcomed Mr Thammaiah and His supporters. pic.twitter.com/z9g6Dyhfso

— ANI (@ANI) February 19, 2023

Congress Launches 'Flower On Ear' Campaign 

Intensifying its election campaign in poll-bound Karnataka, the Congress on Saturday launched a 'poster war' against the BJP by pasting 'Kivi Mele Hoova' (flower on the ear) on BJP posters in Bengaluru and Dakshina Kannada districts.

The campaign was pursued aggressively a day after Congress MLAs tucked flowers on their ears inside the Assembly to show their protest against the unfulfilled promises made by the ruling BJP. Flower on ears is a symbolic statement in Kannada, which means making someone a fool.

The Congress stepped up the 'Kivi Mele Hoova' campaign by taking it to the streets now, the party said in a statement. "Posters of 'Kivi Mele Hoova' are seen on the top of the BJP 'Achievement Wall' paintings and posters in many parts of the Bengaluru city and Mangalore this morning," it added.

The Congress' Karnataka unit on Friday had attacked the BJP government for failing to fulfil 90 per cent of its 2018 manifesto promises and also for utilising only 56 per cent of allocated funds of the 2022-2023 budget, the statement said.

Former chief minister and Congress Legislative Party leader Siddaramaiah, Congress state president D K Shivakumar and other Congress MLAs sported flowers on their ears to highlight that BJP was making people 'phool' out of people, it added.

The 'Kivi Mele Hoova' is a pamphlet showing flowers tucked on the ear pasted on BJP posters.

The Congress poster appeared on BJP posters showing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president J P Nadda, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, his predecessor B S Yediyurappa and BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel.

These posters were seen on Jayamahal Road in Bengaluru and Kankanadi in Dakshina Kannada district, a Congress activist said. Reacting to it, Union Minister for Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi said the Congress has realised that people will put flowers on their ears.

"Congress leaders went to Assembly putting flowers on their ears. They have the realisation that people are going to put flowers on their ears. Already people have done the same to the Congress across the nation," Joshi said.

Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said the Congress MLAs entering the Assembly with flowers on their ears shows that they had been in the habit of 'putting flowers on the ears of the people'. The BJP in response, started a Twitter campaign "That Antha Heli" (Reply Quickly) to portray the Congress as a corrupt party.

The Congress had in the past conducted the 'PayCM' campaign alleging that the BJP government charges 40 per cent commission on all public works. A wordplay on digital payments firm PayTM, the PayCM campaign had a QR code showing Bommai's face in the middle.

(With PTI inputs)