‘Support BJP if you love it but don’t mislead’

By NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Taking a dig at the Janata Dal (Secular), Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly and former CM Siddaramaiah said the BJP’s ‘B’ team, JD(S) should not try to come to power by forging alliances with other parties in case of a fractured verdict.

Addressing a rally in Hassan here, Siddaramaiah recalled the events in 2018 when the chief minis - ter’s post was offered to the JD(S) to give good governance though the party had won only around 30 seats. But the JD(S)-Congress coalition government collapsed as then CM H.D. Kumaraswamy failed to run the government ef fectively. Now, the JD(S) is blaming him for the fall of the coalition g o ve r n m e n t , he said adding that the government would not have fallen had leaders at the helm of affairs heard out the problems of lawmakers.

The former CM also referred to JD(S) supremo H.D.Deve Gowda’s remark wondering if there are any honest people in politics. Gowda served as Irrigation and PWD minister, chief minister and prime minister, and has rich experience in politics. The former PM must explain whether in the history of Karnataka, any contractors association has ever written a letter alleging 40 per cent commission in government departments? “If you have love for the BJP, support it directly and we do not have any objection to it. But do not mislead people,” he quipped.

The Congress leader also taunted for mer CM and JD(S) leader H.D.Kumaraswamy for asking if former minister K.S.Eshwarappa must be arrested when he had already resigned? This is the reason why the JD(S) is dubbed the ‘B’ team of the BJP, he added.