Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Oct 27: “We are prepared to face by-polls, if elections are held on December 5,” confirmed former chief minister Siddaramaiah.
Speaking to reporters at Hubballi, Siddaramaiah who is also the Congress legislature party leader said that the candidate selection has reached the final stage. After the Supreme Court decides on the disqualified MLAs, the candidates will be announced, he added.
By-polls to 15 assembly constituencies in Karnataka, represented by disqualified Congress and JD(S) MLAs, will be held on December 5. The Congress-JD(S) coalition collapsed because of the resignation and absence of these MLAs in the trust vote.
When a reporter questioned Siddaramaiah if the by-polls will decide BJP’s future in Karnataka and if mid-term polls will be conducted, he said it depends on the Supreme Court’s decision regarding the disqualified MLAs.
The BJP needs to win at least six seats in the by-polls, to remain a majority in the assembly, which will still have two vacant seats (Maski and R R Nagar).
Yediyurappa had said that disqualified Congress-JDS MLAs can contest on BJP tickets for the by-polls.
D K Shivakumar to be appointed KPCC president?
Siddaramaiah brushed off questions on D K Shivakumar being appointed as KPCC president as media speculations. He said decisions such as changing KPCC president are taken only by the party high command and any such proposal has not come to his notice.
Speaking with regard to the flood relief, he called the Yediyurappa-led BJP government in the state a failure. “Many are yet to receive the immediate relief of Rs 10,000 announced by Yediyurappa. People are waiting to teach BJP government a lesson,” he said.
Won’t apologise
Siddaramaiah rubbished reports on speaking "disrespectfully" of Assembly Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri.
“I only said that the Speaker did not give leader of opposition enough opportunity to speak in the assembly and he did not hold the session for more days. What is wrong in that?” he questioned.
He slammed chief minister B S Yediyurappa for asking him to apologise. “I need not learn from Yediyurappa. I know how to respect whom. I have been in active politics for 40 years,” he said.
He added that he won’t apologise when he has not committed any mistake and said the ruling BJP can move privilege motion and when moved he will face it in the assembly.