Mysuru: Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday declared that no leader of either the Congress or JD(S), including Mr Ramesh Jarkiholi, would leave their parties despite rumours to the contrary.
“There will neither be a cabinet reshuffle nor expansion. As there is one berth vacant with us (Congress) after Mr Shivalli passed away, we will fill that and the JD (S) has two berths vacant, which will be filled as well, that's it,” he told reporters on his arrival at the Mysuru airport here.
Asked if the government would remove any minister to accommodate those who are dissatisfied, he said, "We have no such plans." On reports of the BJP setting in motion its Operation Lotus to poach MLAs with the help of veteran leader, S M Krishna, he retorted, “This is imaginary.” When it was pointed out that Congress leaders, Sudhakar and Ramesh Jarkiholi had met Mr Krishna, he claimed that Mr Jarkiholi had by chance accompanied Mr Sudhakar to Mr Krishna's house and neither man was aware that state BJP chief, B S Yeddyurappa, senior BJP leader, R Ashok and newly elected Mandya MP, Sumalatha would be present "It was just a coincidence. Including Mr Ramesh Jarkiholi, no one will leave the Congress,” he said emphatically.
Mr Siddaramaiah also denied that the Lok Sabha results would have any impact on the state government. “It will have no impact on the state government. People consider different issues for parliamentary, assembly and local body elections. Did Prime Minister Narendra Modi resign when we got results in our favour in the Loks Sabha byelections?,” he demanded.
Dismissing Mr Yeddyuraappa’s claim that there would be a new BJP government in the state on June 1, he said, “He has been talking like this for the past one year. Has it come true? Will Mr Yeddyurappa retire from politics if that doesn't happen on 1 June?” he asked.
On the Congress losing its seat in Mysuru, he said, “We will have to closely analyse why this happened.” Asked if he still believed the EVMs had been tampered with, he said, “We respect the mandate of the people , but yes I am still suspicious about the EVMs. We will talk to experts about it.”
