State president of Janata Dal (Secular) H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday accused the Congress of conspiring to unseat him from the post of Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly.
Mr. Kumaraswamy, who made an indirect reference to this while congratulating Kagodu Thimmappa for being elected Speaker on Friday, appealed to him to advice the Congress against launching Operation Hasta.
When The Hindu asked Mr. Kumaraswamy about Operation Hasta, he said the Congress was trying its best to displace him from the post of Leader of Opposition, as it was “scared”, considering the way he exposed the misdeeds of the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa “better” than Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who was Leader of the Opposition then.
The Congress had approached a few legislators of the JD(S) asking them to resign with a promise to get them re-elected and assuring them support for the development of their constituencies.
He said the Congress had contacted Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy (Pulakeshinagar), Pilla Munishamappa (Devanahalli), K. Srinivasamurthy (Nelamangala) and B.B. Ningaiah (Mudigere). Some Congress leaders had even cajoled the former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar to ask BSR Congress to merge with the Bharatiya Janata Party so as to have an upper hand in the Assembly. “Even if they succeed in their attempt to unseat me, I am confident of discharging the responsibility as Opposition leader with the support of 40 legislators,” he said. When contacted, State Congress vice-president B.L. Shankar strongly refuted the allegations made by Mr. Kumaraswamy and said the Congress would not stoop to such undemocratic methods. He added that the BJP is the Opposition party and not the JD(S).
Periyapatna
On the defeat of party candidate in the Assembly elections to Periyapatna constituency, Mr. Kumaraswamy said: “Congress won by hatching a conspiracy. Samajwadi Party candidate H.C. Basavaraj had retired from the contest in favour of the ruling party candidate.”
