Hubballi: Dismissing talk of the JD(S)-Congress coalition government facing a threat to its stability, Former CM Siddaramaiah asserted that the government it will complete its full five-year term.
Addressing media persons in Badami on Wednesday, he termed the predictions being made by BJP leaders that the government will collapse and their state president B.S. Yeddyurappa will become CM soon as ‘daydreaming.’ Rejecting their claim that many Congress legislators are keen to join the saffron party, he said that on the contrary, BJP MLAs are in consultation with him.
During his visit to his constituency, Badami,Mr Siddaramaiah campaigned in favour of the Congress candidates for the Legislative Council election from Vijayapur and Bagalkot local governing bodies constituency.
Clarifying on his earlier statement, he claimed that he had only expressed his willingness to become CM after the next Assembly elections. Denying reports that he has been sidelined by the coalition government, he said that the credit of delivering good governance will go to both the Congress and JD(S). “I did not say that I will contest the next election. I only said that I will become CM again only if voters bless me. My loyalists are giving statements backing me for the top post as they respect me”, he said. Lambasting BJP leader and Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde, Mr Siddaramaiah remarked that he lacked culture adding that it was shameful that he had been inducted into the Union Cabinet. Accusing the BJP of disrespecting the Constitution, he said that such leaders are not human and are like a cancer to society.
The former CM asserted that the Central grants allotted to Karnataka had been reduced after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister and said the result of the election to urban local bodies will be an indicator of the way the parliamentary polls next year will go. Hitting out at BJP MLA B Sriramulu, he said the Congress suffered defeat in the previous election and could not get a majority on its own due to the false propaganda launched against the party by BJP leaders.
