Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday listed the opportunities and positions Congress party had bestowed on former Union Minister C.M. Ibrahim and advised him against avarice in politics.
Apart from fielding him as Congress candidate from Bhadravathi during the assembly elections of 2013 by denying the party ticket to sitting MLA B.K. Sangamesh, he was made the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Board even though he lost the assembly polls. The party later nominated him to the Legislative Council for two consecutive terms, Mr. Siddaramaiah told reporters in Maddur.
“The Congress party has helped him. If he is still not satisfied, we can’t do anything. One can be ambitious in politics, but not avaricious”, he said while claiming that Mr. Ibrahim was leaving the party because he was not appointed the Leader of the Congress in the Legislative Council.
After learning about his plans to quit the party, Mr. Siddaramaiah said he telephoned Mr. Ibrahim and asked him to stay in the party. However, the former Chief Minister said Mr. Ibrahim’s resignation will not have any impact on the Congress party.
When asked about Mr. Ibrahim’s claim that even he (Mr. Siddaramaiah) was also not at peace in the Congress party, the former Chief Minister said he was comfortable in the Congress party. “I am the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader and our aim is to bring the Congress back to power”, he said.
When his attention was drawn to Mr. Ibrahim’s charge that the minorities did not receive adequate budgetary support during the Congress rule in the State, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the former Union Minister was levelling such accusations as he was leaving the party and added that there was no need to attach much importance to such charges.
With regard to former Minister and JD (S) MLA representing Chamundeshwari assembly constituency G.T. Deve Gowda setting a condition that he will join the Congress only if his son and President of Mysuru-Chamarajanagar District Central Co-operative Bank Chairman Harish Gowda was also given a ticket, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that Mr. Gowda had sought a ticket for himself and his son during his talks with the Congress. “I had told him that I will speak to the party High Command,” he added.
