BENGALURU: “DON’T fall prey to tears shed by JDS leaders during election time,” warned Congress Legislature Party leader and opposition leader in the Assembly Siddaramaiah, here on Sunday. Siddaramaiah, who was once with the JDS, told party wo rke r s, “ The JDS leaders have been using tears right from the time of Deve Gowda (who was the CM in 1994).” Speaking at a meeting of party leaders at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee office, Siddaramaiah referred to a recent incident, where JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy is said to have shed tears ago.
Siddaramaiah’s caution assumes significance with two Assembly by-polls round the corner. Especially at Sira, the contest has been traditionally between Congress and JDS. Both the parties are under pressure to perform well in these by-elections as the JDS drew a blank and the Congress won only two of the 15 Assembly by-polls last time. constituencies that.
It was also humiliating for the Congress as 12 of those seats were held by its party members. Siddaramaiah told the party workers that the Congress has to defeat the JDS and BJP, and win both the byelections. The JDS does not have the strength to form a government on its own, and has to depend on other parties to come to power.
Speaking about the JDS with which the Congress had shared an alliance for 14 months, Siddaramaiah alleged that there was an internal understanding between the JDS and BJP, and warned party workers to be cautious. Political observers, who dissected the former chief minister’s statement, said that it seemed conclusive, and dashes hopes of any plan of the opposition parties — Congress and JDS — to fight the bypolls jointly.