Bengaluru: Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar and former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Wednesday cast their votes in their respective constituencies as voting for Karnataka assembly is underway across the state.
While Shivakumar ruled out a post-poll alliance with JDS in case the people give a hung verdict, JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy said his party will not be a kingmaker, but a king.
After casting his vote, Shivakumar said the party will get 141 plus seats in the elections as people of the state will vote for Congress for a change.
Voting in the 224 assembly seats of Karnataka is underway with as many as 2,615 candidates in the fray.
On first-time voters, Shivakumar said that the young voters would root out the corrupt BJP rule and elect Congress government.
“The young voters are intelligent and talented and they will make a suitable decision. They will uproot this corrupt government, and elect a Congress government,” Shivakumar told reporters after casting his vote.
Shivakumar is fighting election from Kanakapura constituency, his backyard where he is pitted against BJP heavyweight and Karnataka minister R Ashoka.
The KPCC Chief said the young voters are aware of price rise, corruption in the government and certainly vote for a change.
“Late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had cut the age of voters from 21 years to 18 years. They will vote for a change, change for a democratic and global Karnataka. They are aware of price rise, corruption in the government, and I am sure they will vote for a change,” he said.
Before reaching the polling booth, Shivakumar sought the blessings of his family deity Kenkeramma and appealed to the people to come out of their homes to cast their votes.
On May 6, Shivakumar had worshiped the gas cylinder in his office.
Making it clear on the post-poll alliance with JDS, Shivakumar ruled out the possibility because the Congress party is going to form the government on its own.
Meanwhile, Kumaraswamy voted at a polling booth in Ketaganahalli in Bidadi of Ramanagara District along with his wife Anitha Kumaraswamy, and his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy is contesting from Ramanagar assembly seat.
Kumaraswamy told reporters that JDS will not only be the kingmaker, but the king. “We are requesting people to bless JDS candidates to take up development,” he said.
