I didn’t topple H D Kumaraswamy, upset MLAs did: Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: There may be many who blame former chief minister Siddaramaiah for the collapse of the previous JD(S)-Congress coalition government but he vehemently denies this saying Congress and JD(S) MLAs who were upset with the then H.D. Kumaraswamy government resigned leading to its collapse.

In an exclusive interview with Deccan Chronicle, Mr Siddaramaiah also made it clear that he did not know of any letter being given to the JD (S) then assuring Congress support and said he was not aware if such a letter was given by AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal.

The veteran leader asserted that it was not right to pinpoint him for Congress losses in the May 2018 assembly polls and the recent parliament polls saying the polls were fought under Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi's leadership. "In the BJP, people say it is Narendra Modi's leadership. People do not give credit to B.S. Yediyurappa who selected candidates here. So why do you want to blame me when it comes to the Congress loss" he wondered.

Asked if he deserved the post of opposition leader in the assembly when the Congress had lost both the assembly and parliament polls, Mr Siddaramaiah asserted that he had not asked for the post adding that party MLAs gave opinions which favoured him. He expressed confidence that the Congress would win at least 12 of the 15 assembly seats going to bypolls on December 5.     

Former chief minister Siddaramaiah is one of those leaders who prefer to give interviews with his  supporters all around him. He looks at his fans and followers for the customary nod of approval as he talks on various issues. Interestingly, he is as formal and harsh in such an environment as he is at an election rally where he gets all charged up while attacking his political rivals. After having elaborated ad nauseam on coalition politics and its pitfalls, Deccan Chronicle caught up with Mr Siddaramaiah to talk about real politics from a different perspective. Here are excerpts.

Going back to the days when the coalition government was formed, the Congress did give a letter to JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy saying that it would support him for five years. But your party legislators resigned and the coalition government fell. Doesn't it send a message to non-Congress and non-BJP parties not to trust the Congress party when it comes to forming a coalition?

The Congress party did not ditch (the JD (S). We did not withdraw support to the coalition. Our MLAs resigned and so did three from the JD (S). They (MLAs) were upset with the government and meanwhile the BJP lured them with power and money. So, they left. The party cannot be blamed for this.

After giving it in writing, a national party like the Congress could not hold its flock together. Doesn't it reflect badly on your political conduct in future?

(pauses) I am not aware of a letter being given to the JD (S). They (JD-S) are claiming so. I do not know if Mr Venugopal (AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal) gave a letter or not. Even the JD (S) lost three MLAs. This phenomenon is not restricted to the Congress party alone. It is happening in all parties. Those who lack ideological commitment and conviction will leave, we can't help it. This can't be construed as  misconduct of the party.

In the 2018 election campaign, you had attacked both the BJP and JD (S). Later you joined hands with JD(S). In future elections, you may have to adopt the same strategy. Don't you think voters may think that the Congress had joined hands with the JD (S) in the past and  may join hands with the JD (S) in future too?  Voters may not consider you trustworthy. Comment.

Going by their logic, what does the Bharatiya Janata Party has to say about Nitish Kumar (Bihar CM)? Didn't Nitish fight the BJP in the last elections? What happened? How will BJP face the electorate now?  See in politics, it has happened in the past in many states. We in the Congress party never ever violated any agreement.

The credibility of Nitish Kumar will come under scrutiny in the assembly elections next year. Similarly, voters may suspect you of being a betrayer.

There is a difference. We never had a pre-poll alliance with the Janata Dal (Secular) here. That's why it will not become an issue. In parliament elections we had an alliance because we had a coalition government here. We have not committed any mistake, so we need not bother about it.

Both in the 2018 assembly elections and the Parliament elections this year, the Congress party in Karnataka was led by you but the party lost...

No, the Parliament elections were fought under Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi's leadership.

But the majority of Congress candidates were selected by you and they lost..

In the BJP, people say it is Narendra Modi's leadership. Why do people not give credit to B.S. Yediyurappa who selected candidates here? You don't want to give credit to BSY when it comes to the BJP's victory, but you want to blame me when it comes to the Congress's loss. Is this right?

Many of your party leaders raised a question: why should Siddaramaiah, under whose leadership the party lost the 2018 assembly elections and this year's parliament elections, get the opposition leader's post?  

Who said this? None of our party leaders said so. In the assembly elections, we lost because of the negative campaign against us. Parliament elections revolved around emotional issues. In the recent Haryana and Maharashtra assemby polls (where the Bharatiya Janata Party did not get a clear majority in either state), people did not vote on emotional issues. They rejected the abrogation of Article 370.

Senior leaders like K.H. Muniyappa, B.K. Hariprasad and many others have openly expressed their reservations against you..

I did not say all have accepted my leadership. There might be a few who opposed me. I am not the one who would say leaders should not express their opinion. There might be a few who wanted to become opposition leader and some MLAs might have backed them too. But the majority backed me, so I got the post.

The question is about you being rewarded(with a  prestigious post)  in spite of losing the polls..

I did not ask for the post. Our party MLAs gave opinions in favour of me. And Madhusudan Mistry (AICC general secretary) sent the report based on the inputs given by MLAs and so I was selected.

Didn't you tell the party top brass that if the party denied you the Opposition leader's post, you would go your own way?

No. I did not say so. These are all lies. It is a figment of imagination

Coming to the December 5 by-elections, what are your party's prospects?
Of the 15, we will win not less than 12 seats.

But party workers say the candidate selection process has gone wrong. For instance, the party has fielded a Kuruba in Vokkaliga dominated Mahalaxmi Layout constituency. Likewise, the party made wrong selections for the majority of these seats..

The party has sent teams to all the constituencies. They came back and gave the report and based on their inputs, the party has finalised candidates.

But, how can you finalise candidates without discussing the list in the Congress Election Committee meeting?

Why will the state election committee be consulted again and again? Their opinions were sought and these opinions were sent to the party central leadership. That's it. There is no need to convene the Election Committee meeting again and again.

In any election in future, you may have to target B.S. Yediyurappa from the BJP and the father and son duo (Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy) in JD(S). The Lingayats and Vokkaligas construe your criticism against these leaders as an attack on themselves. You may even see a repeat of 2018 assembly elections.

The Congress did not depend on one community, it's a secular party. And why will they (Vokkaligas and Lingayats) feel bad if I criticize them (BSY and HDK)? No, I do not agree with this view.

But the results of the 2018 assembly elections and 2019 Parliament elections are enough proof that BJP attracted a large chunk of SC, ST and OBC votes. The Congress can no longer claim these votes.

It is probably the result of the 93rd and 94th amendment of the Constitution. We provided reservations to all categories and SC and ST communities. All the parties field candidates and they too win seats in local bodies. When they get seats in local bodies, these members will naturally work for their parties. A percentage of votes may go to them. This reservation has divided the votes of all the communities.

Moving on, in the coming by-elections, you are not going with the JD (S)..

It is not we who said this. The JD (S) went ahead and announced this.

Then, it is back to square one. The 'communal party' will get the benefit as secular votes will get divided..

No no. In 2013, we three fought each other and the Congress came to power.

But in 2013, the BJP was divided into three. You cannot consider that as an example.

Since the days of the Janata Party, there were triangular fights in many elections. Didn't the Congress come to power? We will come back.

Finally, many in your party say openly that KPCC president Dinesh Gundurao is a puppet in your hands. You do whatever you want using him..

(angrily) Nobody has said this. Dinesh Gundurao is a five-time MLA. Is he ignorant? Can you call him a political novice? Doesn't he know politics? It is not correct. I do not agree with this.