Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy lashed out at the coalition partner Congress for hatching 'chakravyuha'' to defeat his son and JD(S) candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy in Mandya constituency. Bringing to fore again deep fissures in the ruling front, the JD(S) leader lashed out at Congress and others for ''colluding'' with the independent candidate and multi-lingual film actress Sumalatha, wife of late Congress leader and actor Ambareesh, in Mandya, instead of working for Nikhil.

also read; Congress asks EC to disqualify Amit Shah from contesting Lok Sabha elections

"There are developments that have gone out of hand in Mandya. The independent candidate has got widespread support. She may appear as an independent but she has got the support of Congress, BJP and Raita Sangha (farmers' association). All of them have joined hands to trample JD(S)," he told reporters in Chikkamagalur. Kumaraswamy said: "He (Gowda) has only uttered the facts... Somewhere someChakravyuha has been hatched but the people of Mandya, those toiling populace, have already taken a decision (to elect Nikhil)," the chief minister said. He added he was making the statement clearly without hiding anything. ''Chakravyuha'' is a deadly battle formation narrated in the epic Mahabharata in which Arjuna's son Abhimanyu was trapped and killed by the Kauravas.

Former CM and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah, in response, said that there is no rift in the coalition and Nikhil will not lose the battle in Mandya if a few Congress followers decide not to vote for him. Speaking to Mathrubhumi News, Siddaramaiah said that the coalition will win 20 out of 28.

also read: Sushma Swaraj slams Rahul Gandhi, says, 'maintain some decorum of your speech'