'No need for Cong to highlight CBI raids during campaign as people will send message to BJP govt'

Bengaluru: KPCC Chief D K Shivakumar said on Wednesday that there was no need for his party to highlight the CBI raids against him during the bypoll campaign and people themselves would send a message to the BJP government, having ‘suffered’ under this administration.

Sira in Tumakuru district and Rajarajeshwari Nagar in the city will go for by-polls on November 3.

“I will talk about it separately, later, don’t want now… there’s no need to go for election with the CBI issue. Voters will decide,” Shivakumar said in response to a question on the strategy for the bypolls at a time when the CBI was behind him.

Speaking to reporters here, he said there is no strategy or counter strategy and the outcome of the polls would not pose any threat to either the Narendra Modi led government at the Centre or Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa led government. “A message has to go to the people that this administration is not pro-people.

People are suffering and they are seeing for themselves how the administration is functioning. People have to send a message to the government now. We have faith in the voters,” he added.

The CBI had on Monday conducted searches at 14 locations linked to Shivakumar in Karnataka, Delhi and Mumbai in connection with the allegations of possession of disproportionate assets. Congress and Shivakumar had termed the CBI searches as “politically motivated” and had questioned its timing ahead of the bypolls.

Meanwhile, the Congress on Wednesday named former Minister T B Jayachandra and Kusuma H, the wife of late IAS officer D K Ravi, as its candidates for the bypolls in Sira and Rajarajeshwari Nagar assembly segments. Shivakumar said the candidates announced for Sira and R R Nagar segments would file their nominations at a suitable date.

Much is at stake for Shivakumar after the recent CBI raids as he is looking at consolidating his position in the party by winning both seats, especially R R Nagar, as it comes under the Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha constituency represented by his brother D K Suresh.