Bengaluru: “He (Siddaramaiah) is taking revenge in Mandya (where Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil is candidate), and if any one has fixed a time bomb or atom bomb to this government after May 23 results, it is Siddaramaiah and team,” said senior BJP leader K S Eshwarappa.
Former deputy chief minister R Ashoka also slammed ruling Congress-JD(S) coordination committee Chief Siddaramaiah for his Chief Ministerial ambitions and accused him of fixing a time bomb to the coalition government that would explode after Lok Sabha poll results on 23 May.
“I’m saying this on behalf of the party (BJP), we will not make any attempts to bring this government down. We are not preparing any sketch for it,” said Ashoka while speaking to reporters in Bidar.
He further claimed that Siddaramaiah had a grudge against the JD(S) leaders Kumaraswamy and Deve Gowda for expelling him from the party and that he was unable to digest them enjoying power.
His statements come after several Congress leaders and even some ministers from the JD(S) in the last few days were pitching for Siddaramaiah as the CM again.
However, Siddaramaiah on Wednesday clarified they were doing so out of affection, and ruled out the possibility of any change in the top post held by Kumaraswamy.
Meanwhile, JD(S) termed the demand as unreasonable and ruled out any possibility of Siddaramaiah becoming Chief Minister immediately. Kumaraswamy also reportedly met Congress leaders on Wednesday and expressed his displeasure about the development and asked them to restrain party leaders from publicly making statements on the post of Chief Minister as it was embarrassing the government and him.
Another former deputy chief minister and senior BJP leader K S Eshwarappa said Thursday that . “He(Siddaramaiah) is making four to five people to publicly state that Siddaramaiah has to be come Chief Minister once again,” Eshwarappa said.
Talks about Siddaramaiah as chief minister once again, have emerged amid reports that the Congress in Karnataka was preparing for assembly polls after the Lok Sabha election results, which party leaders have rubbished.
However, there are discussions within political circles that any adverse results for the coalition in the LokSabha polls, which they fought in alliance, would have its implications on the Kumaraswamy-led government.
Despite, KPCC chief Dinesh Gundu Rao asking Congress men not to make any statement on the Chief Minister’s post, Congress leader and Kumaraswamy’s bte noire Cheluvarayaswamy Thursday said, people across party and community lines desire Siddaramaaih should be Chief Minister, but no one has said- change the CM immediately.
He, however, said, “….remaining as Chief Minister or losing the post will depend on the conduct of Kumaraswamy and not any Congress men or leader.”
Reacting to this, JD(S) leader and minister C SPuttaraju said the JD(S) and the Congress together have named Kumaraswamy as Chief Minister for five year’s term and the question of making Siddaramaiah Chief Minister will arise only after the term is over. The issue also reportedly came up for informal discussion during the cabinet meeting yesterday. Several JD(S) Ministers had reportedly expressed their displeasure on the talks of Siddaramaiah becoming Chief Minister, when the post was not vacant.