Daijiworld Media Network - Mandya (SP)

Mandya, Apr 14: This Lok Sabha constituency has emerged as one of most watched Lok Sabha election battle fields as chief minister, H D Kumaraswamy, is hell bent on making sure that his son, Nikhil, wins from here. A new audio clip that is being circulated now seems to support the notion that huge sums of money are changing hands here.

The audio is said to contain conversation between Chetan Gowda, son of current JD(S) MP, Shivarame Gowda, with P Ramesh, a JD(S) leader from Tumakuru. People heard conversing with each other in the tape that has become viral, refer about having given the JD(S) election responsibility of this constituency to contractors, decision to distribute five lac rupees to each booth, the fact that JD(S) workers have set up barricades in various villages and manning them, and also about the plan of JD(S) workers to snatch away money from people who might visit their places to distribute money and scare them away.

H D Kumaraswamy

The audio is also said to contain some vulgar comments about Sumalatha and Ambareesh.

In response to queries, Chetan Gowda said the voice in the audio does not sound like his. He said that there are differences between first and second audios. "This election is fought on the basis of achievements of the coalition government. To me, this appears to be a ploy by the opposition to defame us," he added.

Chetan also said that he had never met P Ramesh in the recent past and that Ramesh used to visit him when he was in the Congress. He said that he is shocked to hear the audio and felt that it is the handiwork of people who are jealous about of his sincere work for the victory of Nikhil Kumaraswamy.

Chief minister H D Klumaraswamy, also asked people not to lend an ear to such tapes, duly asserting that he has never fought elections on the basis of money power. Referring to the tapes which claim that Rs 150 crore was being spent in this constituency for the Lok Sabha election in his election address, he said that his politics is based on love and affection and not on money.