Big bro Siddaramaiah to H D Kumaraswamy: Restraint!

Bengaluru: A meeting of senior Congress leaders on Friday, which was attended by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy too, saw former CM Siddaramaiah taking on the role of 'wise elder', advising his successor to refrain from making statements like the one he made on Thursday when the CM virtually asked people to revolt against the BJP for trying to destabilise his government.  

Mr Siddaramaiah felt such a public expression of anger would embarrass both coalition partners and do no good to the image of the government to which Mr Kumaraswamy reportedly replied that he did not mean to say 'Dange' (mutiny) but actually wanted people to launch an agitation against the 'power-hungry' BJP. 

Congress leaders including Siddaramaiah, KPCC President Dinesh Gundurao, Deputy CM Dr G. Parameshwar, Water Resources Minister D.K. Shivakumar and KPCC Working President Eshwar Khandre decided to defend Mr Kumaraswamy's remark despite the backlash and also target the BJP for reportedly using underworld kingpins to woo ruling coalition legislators.  

The meeting saw the CM requesting Congress leaders to sort out differences between them and the Jarkiholi brothers and also resolve the dissidence that has cropped up among Ballari legislators after reports that Ballari Rural MLA B Nagendra is tipped to join the cabinet during the impending expansion.