Former minister Pramod Madhwaraj who joined BJP leaving Congress, on Friday, January 27, lashed out at former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for his comments against the former made in Udupi, including that as a party-hopper.
It was common among politicians to change parties according to the situation, Mr. Siddaramaiah too had changed parties several times, from Raita Sangha to Bharatiya Lok Dal, Samajavadi Party, Janata Dal, Janata Dal (Secular) before joining the Congress. Let Mr. Siddaramaiah and KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar declare no one was welcome to Congress, Mr. Madhwaraj challenged.
Taking serious exception to Mr. Siddaramaiah calling him ‘aasaami’ and ‘giraaki,’ Mr. Madhwaraj said if Siddaramaiah could call him, a former cabinet colleague in that manner, imagine how he would address the common man. Even he could speak lightly on Mr. Siddaramaiah, but for the acculturation by his parents.
On the charges that he had swindled election funds given by the JD(S) upon contesting the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha constituency on the former’s ticket in 2019, Mr. Madhwaraj said the funds were given to the Udupi district Congress. Mr. Siddaramaiah for his selfish goal of securing Mysuru LS constituency, had left Udupi-Chikkamagaluru and Canara (Uttara Kannada) to JD(S), he said.
Responding to Mr. Shivakumar, the former minister said his father Late Madhwaraj had built Congress from his own funds while he revived the party in Udupi district by spending from his pocket. He neither used funds from corruption or extortion to build the party nor used the party to make money.
Mr. Madhwaraj further said the BJP would win all the five Assembly seats in Udupi district in the forthcoming elections. If the party fields him, he would contest, otherwise would work for the victory of party candidates. BJP would win at lest 150 seats in the forthcoming assembly elections, he added.
