Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Nov 18: Without naming Siddaramaiah, former chief minister (CM) H D Kumaraswamy, fired indirect salvos against him, by claiming that a former chief minister nursing the dream of becoming the chief minister again has been hijacking and brainwashing the JD(S) leaders from the Old Mysuru region. He was speaking to media persons after attending the 'Janata Sangama' meeting.

Kumaraswamy said that the said leader has undertaken this misadventure with the aim of decimating the JD(S) before the next election. "He has been indulging in techniques to hijack our leaders and legislators" he alleged.

Kumaraswamy accused the former CM of repeatedly calling the legislators and JD(S) candidates who lost the previous election with a thin margin, asking them to decide on his proposal. He said that a legislator close to him has shown him a list of telephonic calls made by the said former minister and that he has a record of these conversations.

"After we formed the government along with the Congress, they are brainwashing our leaders. I am not tensed by these activities. Their target is the Old Mysuru region as we have a big army of workers and that party faces a shortage of leaders. Because of the shortfall of leaders, they are trying to poach our leaders," he angrily said.

Kumaraswamy said that he has no objection if the leaders want to go somewhere else in search of greener pastures, but asked them not to indulge in malicious propaganda about the party and its leadership. He wanted the leaders not to speak lightly of his party after getting to the eminent position because of the support drawn from the party. He said that instead of crying about the people who leave the party, he will try to convince at some of them to change their decisions if it is possible.

Speaking to media persons at Koratagere on Wednesday, Kumaraswamy said that the coalition with the Congress is a closed chapter. "We formed the government together and were together in the Lok Sabha election. But that association has proved costly for our party," he said. He said that in the internal meeting of the party, it has been decided to address the past mistakes.