Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Dec 25: MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan, who leads a faction of JD(S) legislators that is disgruntled with the leadership of the party, came out the explosive information that former chief minister and JD(S) state president, H D Kumaraswamy, was the one who asked him and others to vote for Congress candidate during Rajya Sabha election. He also expressed his preparedness to take a oath about the veracity of this claim in any temple as may be suggested by Kumaraswamy.

"Let Kumarawamy fix the venue for taking this vow in the name of god. If he asserts in the presence of the presiding deity that he had never asked us to cross-vote, I am prepared to retire from politics," Zameer added.

Insisting that himself and his followers had not done anything wrong during the Rajya Sabha election, he sought to know from JD(S) leadership as to why he party is toeing a soft line towards MLA, Gopalaiah, who too had violated party whip like himself during the election. "Why are you having different yardsticks for us and Gopalaiah. Why are we being differentiated when judging our actions? Kumaraswamy says that party's disciplinary committee would take a decision about the re-admission of Gopalaiah into the party. Let the same committee come out with its decision about us," he challenged.

Zameer answered in the affirmative about the information that NCP leader, Sharad Pawar, has been in contact with him and that Pawar has promised to come and meet him and other disgruntled JD(S) MLAs. "We seven MLAs from this party are together. We have the following of a number of JD(S) legislators. Let us see what future holds for us," Zameer, once considered to be a close confidante of Kumaraswamy, stated.