MYSURU/BENGALURU: A day after JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy termed Opposition leader Siddaramaiah a “terminator for minority leaders in the party”, several Congress leaders condemned the former’s remarks.
Addressing the media here on Sunday, Congress leaders, including former mayor Arif Hussain, KPCC spokesperson M Lakshman, District Congress Committee president Dr Vijaykumar, Deputy Mayor Anwar Baig and others came down heavily on Kumaraswamy and said he was making a false charge to increase the JDS vote share in the upcoming bypolls. The JDS has fielded Muslim candidates in the October 30 bypolls to Hanagal and Sindagi.
Kumaraswamy’s statement comes at a time when murmurs are rife that Congress MLC CM Ibrahim has sent feelers among his community members about him joining the JDS. Refuting Kumaraswamy’s charges, Arif Hussain said people in the community know the reality. “Kumaraswamy, who was a film producer, entered politics after I stepped down as the mayor. Now, he is blaming our leader Siddaramaiah and accusing him of sidelining Muslims. If he is so supportive of Muslim leaders, he could have fielded Rahman Sheriff from Kanakapura constituency... but he was not given a ticket,” said Arif responding to a question raised by Kumaraswamy in one of his tweets.
He further added that JDS failed to honour the agreement in the Mysuru City Corporation mayoroal polls which led to the spilt of alliance. Lakshman alleged that Kumaraswamy was using Muslims as a political tool against Siddaramaiah and the Congress. In Bengaluru, MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan hit out at Kumaraswamy and said his allegations against Siddaramaiah were false.
‘Cong top brass to pick CM after 2023 polls’
Bengaluru: Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Sunday said the party high command will decide on its CM after winning the 2023 Assembly polls in the state, and whomever they name, everyone will abide by it. ”The high command will decide. Congress is a national party. Who made Basavaraj Bommai the CM? Did MLAs do it? It was the (BJP) high command and RSS. Similarly, we too have the high command,” Siddaramaiah said. He reiterated that the high command has not invited him to national politics and the issue was not discussed during his recent meeting with Sonia Gandhi. “I’m now 74 years old, I may be in politics maximum five more years, I am fine with Karnataka, I’m happy with Karnataka politics,” he said. On Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah said, “He should become the party president, I have said it a number of times,” Siddaramaiah added.