Siddaramaiah: Is BS Yeddyurappa the poll panel chief?

Bengaluru: Dismissing state BJP chief, B S Yeddyurappa's prediction that the elections to the state assembly would be preponed, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday demanded sarcastically if  he  had now become the election commissioner.

Speaking to reporters on his arrival at the Mysuru airport to participate in the Congress party's victory conventions in Gundlupet and Nanjangud, he said, " Has even one statement made by Mr Yeddyurappa come true?  After doing so many irregularities during his term as Chief Minister, he dares to says this. It is like listening to the Bhagvadgita from the mouth of the devil.  His lies are absurd. It is better I don't react to him."

The Chief Minister also rubbished rumours about senior Congress leader,  A.H. Vishwanath quitting the party.  Asked if he would talk  him out of leaving, he said, "I will not meet him. He says the Congress is like his mother.  He will not leave."

As for the Supreme Court setting a deadline of May 9 to resolve the Bababudangiri and Datta Peeta issues, he said he had asked the law department to act on it.

Denying that the state government had dropped the steel bridge project in Bengaluru under pressure from the BJP, he claimed it was axed in response to a stay from the National Green Tribunal(NGT).
In response to a query, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not reacted to charges of discrimination against the state.

"No, he did not react. We pointed out that although Karnataka is only next to Rajasthan in its expanse of dryland, other states, including smaller ones, had received more SDRF funds for five years. Also as against the Rs 4,702 crore we sought as drought relief, we got only Rs 1675 crore," he added.

‘Don’t think anyone can win polls with cash’
Taking on the BJP for its claims that the ruling Congress had showered money on gundlupet and nanjangud to win the recent bypolls  held in these constituencies,  Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said it was being disrespectful to their people by making such charges.

Addressing the party's victory convention in Nanjangud, he said the voters were supreme and their verdict could not be questioned. "After losing the elections you allege there was misuse of power and money was given to voters. You made eight MLAs resign and introduced corruption in politics through Operation Kamala. What moral right do you have to say this? " he demanded, targeting state BJP chief, B S Yeddyurappa.   

The Chief Minister said a combination of factors helped the party win the bypolls . Funds were given for developmental work  in the constituencies and the JDS, which did not field candidates, allowed its party workers to support the Congress. "In addition, Communist party and  BSP leaders, progressive litterateurs and thinkers backed us as did several Dalit organisations," he added.

In Gundlupet, when workers demanded a ministerial post for Ms Geetha Mahadevprasad, he replied,  "I know what you have in mind. But we cannot disclose this in public."  

Taking a dig at former minister, V Srinivasaprasad,  Home Minister, G Parameshwar said he had invited his own humiliation by quitting the Congress in a huff over being dropped from the Cabinet and joining the BJP to contest from Nanjangud.  "We treated you like a brother, but you resigned. And then you announced your political retirement within half- an- hour of the byelection result. This is the worst humiliation a politician can suffer," he maintained.