Pratap Simha, Mysuru-Kodagu MP, on Monday said Siddaramaiah will not give the Chief Minister’s post to Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar at any cost. Mr. Siddaramaiah has made his intents clear through his supporters Ministers M.B. Patil and H.C. Mahadevappa that he would continue in the post for the full term, Mr. Simha said.
Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, Mr. Simha said Mr. Siddaramaiah should himself come on record and say that he will remain in the CM’s post for five years instead of telling his close supporters to issue statements on his behalf. “He lacks courage to say he will be a full term CM since the high command has finalised power-sharing between him and Mr. Shivakumar,” Mr. Simha claimed.
He credited Mr. Shivakumar for the Congress’s victory and said the Deputy Chief Minister played a keyrole in the party coming to power. “But, Mr. Siddaramaiah grabbed power though he is not an original Congressman. In 2013, he became the Chief Minister instead of G. Parameshwara and now for the second term instead of Mr. Shivakumar. Mr. Siddaramaiah is not generous. He can even split the party to be in power,” Mr. Simha charged.
On the Congress attacking the Narendra Modi government on the issue of denial of rice for Anna Bhagya, he said Mr. Siddaramaiah himself had admitted that 5 kg of rice was given by the Centre, and now he was blaming the Modi government. Before making the promise, Mr. Siddaramaiah should have realised how to source the rice, Mr. Simha said.
Mr. Simha said the name of Basanagouda Patil Yatnal for the post of Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly is doing the rounds and the party will announce a suitable name before the start of the Budget session. “Mr. Yatnal has the strength and the capability to tackle the Congress head-on on various issues, including the funds for the implementing the guarantees. The party leadership will take a decision soon,” he told reporters.
