BENGALURU: Veteran leader and former minister PGR Sindhia suggested to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday that the CM’s post be handed to DCM DK Shivakumar after two and a half years of his tenure, by the agreement reached at the high command level last year.
“I don’t know about the agreement, but both of you should adhere to it,” he said at the launch of the book ‘Samartha Jana Nayaaka’ on former MP VS Ugrappa. Sindhia, who was Siddaramaiah’s colleague in the Janata Dal government headed by JH Patel, encouraged Siddaramaiah not to be disheartened by opposition allegations but to continue as CM.
Sindhia, now with Congress and a sympathiser of Shivakumar, likened Siddaramaiah to former CM Devaraj Urs in delivering social justice to the oppressed. Siddaramaiah remarked, “It’s not apt to say that Ugrappa and Sindhia sailed in the same boat, as the former joined Congress earlier. However, he remained inactive in the party due to other responsibilities. Sindhia joined the party only after me.
Despite our differences of opinion, we have been good friends.” Shivakumar claimed he helped Ugrappa become the Council opposition leader, even when Mallikarjun Kharge was not in favor of it. He also stated that he assisted Ugrappa in obtaining the Ballari Lok Sabha ticket, despite Siddaramaiah, who had promised it to someone else, being against it.
Siddaramaiah acknowledged this in his speech and expressed regret that Ugrappa had not been a minister. “I will try to help. I am in the twilight of my political life, but Ugrappa still has a future. Let’s see how things pan out,” he said.