Never told rebels to vote for Congress: HD Kumaraswamy

Bengaluru: Accusing six suspended JD(S) of taking money to vote for Congress candidates in the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council polls, State JD(S) President H.D. Kumaraswamy ruled out taking them into the party fold at any cost.

"They are very big people and ours is a small party. Let them  join any party, I am not bothered. There is no question of pardoning their mistakes and accepting them as party legislators", he said without mincing words.

Reacting to suspended Chamarajpet MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan's open challenge, Mr Kumaraswamy said "I did not want to waste my time accepting his challenge of  swearing in god’s name that I permitted them to vote for Congress nominees. I am not mad to accept such challenges. The whole world knows why these six legislators voted for Congress candidates. Is Mr K.C. Ramamurthy  their relative for them to vote for him? It is a clear cut case of 'cash for vote'. I did not want such persons  in my party. Enough is enough..let  them join any party of their choice and prosper".

The former CM said the party took Mahalakshmipuram MLA Gopalaiah back  after he regretted the mistakes committed by him during the RS and Council polls. The MLA fell at the feet of JD(S) National President H.D. Deve Gowda seeking pardon. Mr Gopalaiah was misled by Zameer and company to vote against the JD(S) candidates. The case of Mr Gopalaiah  was  different and the olive branch would not be extended to any of the suspended MLAs, he said.

Dismissing Mr Zameer's allegations that JD(S) was anti-minority and anti-Vokkaliga, Mr Kumaraswamy said Mr Zameer would have been nothing had he not joined JD(S) and became a minister. It seems that those six legislators had grown beyond JD(S) and were capable of winning on their own charisma.

"Just a day before the RS and Council polls, I had told Mr Zameer and others not to cross- vote in the polls to which they told me that they had gone too far to abide by the party whip. Even if we pardon them, what is the guarantee that they will not indulge in anti-party activities in future", he asked.