Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jan 31: Till a couple of days back, everyone was bothered about BJP's Operation Lotus. Both Congress and JD(S) leaders were vocal about the ulterior motives of the saffron party and vowed not to allow it to snatch power through backdoor politics. However, the focus has now suddenly shifted and the coalition partners are into blame game.

On Wednesday January 30, both JD(S) supremo, Deve Gowda, and chief minister, Kumaraswamy, openly expressed their displeasure at the attitude of some Congress legislators. Both these leaders are unhappy that some of the Congress ministers and former ministers have been repeatedly saying that as far as they are concerned, Siddaramaiah happens to be the chief minister. They feel that these statements give the message that Kumaraswamy has not been effective as the chief minister.

At the cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, Kumaraswamy said that he cannot keep quiet if the tongues of Congress leaders go on wagging in the streets again. He questioned whether they want him to run the government or resign. He also questioned whether he had approached anyone begging for the post of the chief minister. He asked Congress ministers and MLAs to directly speak to him if they have any reservations about his style of functioning. He indicated that he cannot take things lying down for long if public statements which insult him continue to be issued.

Addressing the JD(S) convention organized at the palace grounds here, former Prime Minister, H D Deve Gowda, said that an effort is being made to sully the reputation of Kumaraswamy. He also warned that if the Congress leaders continue to speak at will like that, he cannot remain quiet. Directing his indirect diatribe at Siddaramaiah, he wanted to know whether he had passed adverse comment about the former chief minister's style of functioning as a chief minister for five years. He questioned the leader why Kumaraswamy is not being allowed to function for five years.                                            

In the meanwhile, Congress national president, Rahul Gandhi, has sent clear message that having electoral understanding for the Lok Sabha election with the JD(S) is of paramount importance and therefore, he wants the party leaders not to do anything that can spoil the relationship. Taking note of hostile atmosphere in the two parties, Rahul Gandhi suddenly summoned Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, Dinesh Gundu Rao, and leader of the Congress legislature party, Siddaramaiah, to New Delhi on Wednesday and asked them to make sure that there is no problem between the coalition partners.