MYSURU: Former minister, veteran Congress leader and Siddaramaiah baiter V Srinivas Prasad has decided to resign as legislator from Mysuru’s Nanjangud constituency on October 17. Prasad also announced that he will not continue in the Congress or contest elections under the leadership of friend turned foe, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
With both the BJP and JD(S) wooing him, Prasad said following talks with both parties, he will take a decision after a few weeks. Prasad, a veteran Dalit leader of the party, was among 14 ministers dropped from the cabinet in June this year.
He had gone hammer and tongs against Siddaramaiah, calling him a dictator. He also criticised Congress leaders, accusing them of betraying the Dalit cause.
Congress emissaries from the high command had then appealed to him not to take a hasty decision and invited him to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi. But Prasad refused after Karnataka incharge general secretary Digvijaya Singh announced that there would be no leadership change in the state and that the party would go to the 2018 polls under Siddaramaiah.
‘Will teach Siddu a lesson’
In an interaction with Express, Prasad fumed at Siddaramaiah and alleged the state Congress government was hijacked by 6-7 leaders, betraying seniors, loyalists and lakhs of party men. Alleging that Siddaramaiah has not integrated with the Congress culture, he said the CM’s dictatorial attitude has come out in open when the party started losing its base in other states after 2014.
‘Kharge ditched dalits’
Prasad said Congress leader in LS Mallikarjuna Kharge who has become the tallest dalit leader both at the state and the Centre, ‘killed’ him politically for making his son minister in the government. He recalled that he along with others had worked for Congress’ victory when Kharge was declared the CM candidate in 2008. The party finished second with 88 MLAs and Kharge became opposition leader, he said.
“Whom should we believe when top leaders made us scapegoats to make their children ministers in the government?” he asked. “Siddaramaiah who was in confusion to contest from Varuna or Chamundeshwari constituency was advised by me to choose Varuna as it has dalits. Siddaramaiah might have forgotten my help but he should know I am a leader with mass following and self respect who never compromised for power,” he added.
BJP, JD(S) wooing Prasad
Sources said there are reports that the BJP leadership is inducting retired bureaucrat K Shivaram into the party fold at a function on October 14 and it has invited Srinivasa Parasad too.
Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and H D Kumaraswamy have held talks with Prasad, asking him to join their party. However, Prasad is playing his cards close to his chest and will take a decision only after consulting top BJP and JD(S) leaders.
Prasad clarified that he was not keen on contesting polls and his objective is to teach Siddaramaiah and his coterie a lesson.