Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashok on Sunday claimed that Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar was indirectly helping the BJP win the forthcoming bypolls to two Assembly seats in Karnataka.

“Some senior Congress leaders are helping us win. They include Mr. Shivakumar. His calculation is that if the Congress loses these two bypolls, he will become the Chief Minister. The power tussle between the Chief Minister and Mr. Shivakumar has entered Bagalkot now and we will benefit from it,” he told reporters.

Mr. Ashok said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had no business talking about why the BJP had roped in expelled MLA Basanagouda R. Patil Yatnal for the party campaign.

“We have not expelled him permanently. It is just for a short time. Anyway, the decision on taking him back to the BJP will be taken by our high command. Why should Mr. Siddaramaiah be concerned about our internal issues? If he is confident about winning, he should say that the Congress nominee will win from Bagalkot, irrespective of whether Mr. Yatnal joins the campaign or not,” Mr. Ashok said.

He alleged that some NSUI students were trying to spread misinformation about BJP candidate Viranna Charantimath in Bagalkot. “Some NSUI members have distributed pamphlets among BVV sangha hostel residents stating that if they vote for the BJP, they will face jail terms. When we complained about it, the police took them to the station and let them out. All the officers are acting like Congress agents,” he alleged.

He said he would urge all students who were enrolled as voters in Bagalkot to vote fearlessly. “Do not fear. There is a government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre. He will protect you,” he said.

Mr. Ashok also alleged that the NSUI activists were acting like this as they were emboldened by the recent visit of Mr. Shivakumar. During his visit to Bagalkot recently, Mr. Shivakumar provoked these students to take law into their own hands, he alleged.

The Congress workers have begun hooliganism on college campuses, as they were incited by Mr. Shivakumar, he alleged.

Mr. Ashok alleged that the Congress was planning to spend crores of rupees to lure voters. “We demand that the election be held in a fair manner so that the best candidate may win. We have complained against this to the district electoral officer Sangappa and asked him to investigate,” he said.