Bengaluru: Looks like there’s trouble in paradise in the Congress-JD(S) coalition. Chief minister of Karnataka, HD Kumarswamy accused the Congress of hatching a ‘chakravyuh’ in a bid to defeat his son, Nikhil Kumaraswamy in the Mandya Lok Sabha seat.

The JD(S) leader hit out at the Congress and the others in the coalition for “colluding” with independent candidate and actor-politician Sumalatha Ambareesh, wife of late Congress leader and actor Ambareesh, instead of working for Nikhil.

"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 the Congress, BJP and Raita Sangha (farmers' association). All of them have joined hands to trample JD(S)," he told reporters in Chikmagalur.

Kumaraswamy’s statements came as a reply when reporters questioned him about JD(S) chief and former Prime Minister, HD Deve Gowda’s comments about things going out of hand in Mandya.

Deve Gowda had said that things are out of hand and even Congress leader Siddaramaiah cannot reverse it.

To this, Kumaraswamy said that Deve Gowda had only uttered facts, adding, “Somewhere some Chakravyuha has been hatched but the people of Mandya, those toiling populace, have already taken a decision (to elect Nikhil).” He went on to say that 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.

Reacting to Kumaraswamy's outbursts, Sumalatha told reporters that Congress "workers are indeed with me".

Seeking to turn the tables on the chief minister, she said what the JD(S) would call a ''Chakravyuha'' attack is what they party has done with "activities of the entire government machinery, ministers and lawmakers allegedly aimed at defeating her.

"Which Vyuha is that? They (JD-S) are playing dirty tricks. They have fielded three other candidates with the name Sumalatha against me. Those three candidates are wearing glasses, necklaces and attires like me in the photographs submitted in their affidavit," she claimed.

The JD(S) leadership always considered Mandya as its citadel given the huge population of the dominant Vokkaliga community, which Deve Gowda belongs to, in the constituency, represented by Ambareesh for three terms.

However, upsetting the equations, Sumalatha decided to contest the election from Mandya as an independent after failing to get a ticket from the Congress.

The BJP backed Sumalatha instead of fielding its candidate.

Deve Gowda's other grandson Prajwal Revanna, son of minister HD Revanna, is contesting from Hassan, where also a similar situation prevails with the Congress at the grassroot level openly expressing opposition to the JDS.

(With inputs from PTI)