In defiance of the party high command’s instruction not to speak against the coalition government, former Higher Education Minister and Congress leader from North Karnataka Basavaraj Rayaraddi on Monday said it was “time for former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to become the Chief Minister once again” since he is a MLA from this region.
Mr. Rayaraddi said Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s statements have triggered the demand for separate statehood for North Karnataka and “he should know how to speak and love the people of the region.” Mr. Siddaramaiah was elected to the Legislative Assembly from Badami in North Karnataka and “this is the right time for him to become the Chief Minister again,” he said here.
Noting that a majority of Ministers in the coalition government were from in and around Bengaluru, the former Minister said Mr. Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara should hold discussions to set right the injustice meted out to North Karnataka region in the Council of Ministry.
Mr. Siddaramaiah, on Sunday in Mysuru, lashed out at those demanding separate statehood and said they don’t know the objectives of unification of Karnataka.
Speaking at a conference, Mr. Parameshwara had said North Karnataka has not been neglected and ₹19,000 crore had been provided for the development of backward taluks in the State.
