Bangalore: Congress Won’t Topple Yeddy Regime, When it is Ready to Fall - Siddu
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bangalore, Dec 19: ``Why should we topple the B S Yeddyurappa-led BJP regime, when it is ready to fall on its own?,’’ asked Congress opposition leader in the Karnataka assembly Siddaramaiah on Saturday.
Addressing a news conference ahead of the resumed sitting of the state legislature on Monday, when results of the elections to the 23 legislative council seats from the 19 local authorities constituencies are expected, Siddaramaih asserted that the Congress party would not do anything to pull down the Yeddyurappa regime.
"The Congress party, however, cannot be held responsible if the BJP government falls on its own,’’ he said pointing out that there were strong indications of the government’s fall due to its internal contradictions as the chief minister was cornered by several factions.
The recent dissidence within the ruling party with several ministers and legislators camping in Goa and Hyderabad when people were suffering after the devastation of floods, the illegal mining allegedly by the Bellary mining lords who also led the dissidence struggle, the CBI probe into the alleged illegal mining along Andhra Pradesh-Karnataka border areas and in Bellary district as well as the chief minister’s shameless surrender to the dictates of the dissidents to save his chair are issues that will naturally figure in the state legislature.
Siddaramaiah, who held a meeting of party legislators to discuss the issues to be taken up during the brief legislature session, dismissed the chief minister’s charges against the Congress and JD(S) opposition parties for conspiring to pull down the government as ``totally baseless and politically motivated.’’
"The farmers and all sections of people want this government to go. We will not topple it. Operation Lotus undertaken by BJP (to lure legislators elected from other parties) has boomeranged already,’’ he said contending that the claims of the chief minister and other state BJP leaders of winning 18 to 19 out of the 23 seats were ``hollow.’’
"The BJP will be lucky if it manages to reach the double figure mark in the council polls,’’ he said.
Criticising the government for its ``utter failure’’ to perform or fulfilling its tall promises during the elections and afterwards during the last 20 months, he made it clear that Congress party will work with in close coordination with JD(S) in both houses of the state legislature to take the government to task.
"It is our duty as opposition parties and cannot be termed as a political conspiracy to dislodge the government,’’ he said.
"The Yeddyurappa regime has failed to take any action on the rehabilitation of lakhs of families affected by the worst-ever flood havoc in north Karnataka. There are widespread complaints regarding irregularities in the distribution of money released by the Centre and in providing relief to the victims,’’ he said declaring that the Congress party has no problems to work with JD(S) in putting the government on the mat.
Siddaramaiah, however, declined to comment on the remarks made by JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda, state JD(S) president and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy or former minister H D Revanna on the fall of BJP government and contended that they were free to express their views. ``In any case, it is common knowledge that BJP is being pulled in different directions by rival factions,’’ he said.
Issues pertaining to the government’s failures, lapses and irregularities in implementation rehabilitation of the flood affected people, frequent power cuts despite all the major reservoirs being full and non-distribution of ration cards to the poor would be raised during the session, he said making it clear that the opposition parties would attack the government for mismanaging the state’s finances.
The police lathi charge on farmers in Chirtradurga, Chamarajanagar and Davangere districts would also come up for discussion during the session, he added.