Siddaramaiah Left JDS and Joined Congress For Power: R Ashok

Udupi: Leader of the Opposition in Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka asserted that any challenges faced by DK Shivakumar in the coming days stem from Congress and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's team.

Ashoka told reporters in Udupi that there is a divide between the factions led by Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar in the state. He alleged that Siddaramaiah is the driving force behind the demands within Congress for three Deputy Chief Ministers.

"Yesterday, there was a meeting among some leaders, primarily aimed at strategizing on how to constrain DK Shivakumar," Ashoka disclosed.

It was purportedly agreed that Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar would take turns serving as Chief Minister, with each term lasting two and a half years. Ashoka suggested that any challenges faced by DK Shivakumar would ultimately benefit Siddaramaiah. He emphasized that if Shivakumar encounters any difficulties, they would originate from within the Congress party, specifically Siddaramaiah's team.

Responding to Siddaramaiah's recent criticism of Deve Gowda, where he accused Gowda of aligning with communal forces after being previously perceived as secular, Ashoka questioned Siddaramaiah's own past actions.
"If Deve Gowda was indeed secular, why did Siddaramaiah leave his party? He should acknowledge that he left JD(S) and joined Congress for the sake of power," remarked Ashoka.

Ashoka criticized Siddaramaiah for allegedly favoring minorities. He pointed out that Siddaramaiah refused to allocate funds for Ayodhya but recently promised financial support for minorities.