Mysuru: Rebutting BJP national president Amit Shah’s statement that if people vote for the JD(S) in the coming elections, it would mean indirectly backing the Congress, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the Congress will come back to power on its own without anyone’s support.
“On the other hand, if you vote for JD (S), you would be indirectly backing the BJP,” he said. He disclosed that the list of Congress candidates for the Assembly polls is likely to be released after April 12.
Speaking to mediapersons near his residence at Sharadadevinagar here on Sunday, the CM took potshots at Mr Shah’s statement that the Karnataka Assembly elections would be a gateway for the BJP to establish its base in the southern states ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2019 and said, “Congress will come to power again, it will be a gateway for change in national politics.”.
Asked about Mr Shah’s claim that the ruckus during his meeting with Dalits on Friday was provoked by the CM, Mr Siddaramaiah said, “That meeting was a drama. In order to cover up Union Minister Ananth Kumar Hegde’s controversial statement that they will change the Constitution, they have come up with this claim. A Central minister, holding a responsible position, has made that statement. What was wrong in questioning it? Mr Shah should have given a proper answer. They should have dismissed Mr Hegde. Without the knowledge of Mr Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he could not have that statement. It is their hdden agenda to change the Constitution,” he said.
On the allegation of Mr Shah that the Congress was using the Karnataka government as an ‘ATM,’ he said, “Those who have gone to jail have no moral right to make allegations of corruption against us.” On former BJP minister Hartaalu Haalappa planning to join the Congress, Mr Siddaramaiah said, “He was an accused in a criminal case in which he has now been acquitted. He is a backward class leader. He is speaking to his district local leaders, I will also speak to the Congress high command.”
Dismissing the allegation of JD(S) president H.D. Kumaraswamy that he distributed money in the resort where he stayed on Friday, he said, “It is not true. It was an open place, the rooms were all open, anyone could walk in. He is revealing what they (JD-S) are doing,” Mr Siddaramaiah hit back.
The CM who is planning to contest from Chamundeshwari, said he wanted his last election to be from the constituency. At Hootgalli, an apple garland weighing 750kg was presented to him with the help of a crane. His son Dr S Yatindra accompanied him.
