MYSORE: Former Deputy Chief Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader Siddaramaiah said here on Sunday that his group was ready for an alliance with the Janata Dal (U) in the zilla and taluk panchayat elections if the latter dissociated itself from the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Speaking to presspersons after inaugurating the Suvarna Kannada Jagruthi Rathayana organised by the Kannada Sahitya Parishat's Mysore district unit, Mr. Siddaramaiah said his party was open to a tie-up with any party except the BJP and the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda's Janata Dal (S).

When he was asked for his reaction to Deputy Chief Minister M.P. Prakash's invitation to him and his followers to return to the Janata Dal (S) fold under Mr. Deve Gowda, the former Deputy Chief Minister dismissed the offer and instead called upon all leaders with self-respect, who were with the former Prime Minister, to join him.

There was no democracy in the party headed by Mr. Deve Gowda, Mr. Siddaramaiah said and added that the party had a family rule atmosphere with Mr. Deve Gowda's sons acting as the High Command.

Further, Mr. Siddaramaiah questioned the very basis of Mr. Prakash's invitation to him and his followers.

The former Deputy Chief Minister wondered who Mr. Prakash was to invite him as his group was the real Janata Dal (S). Earlier, speaking at the inauguration of the Rathayana, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the State Government should supersede the Belgaum City Corporation, which had overstepped its jurisdiction by adopting the controversial resolution on merger of Belgaum and some other areas with Maharashtra.

Mr. Siddaramaiah also justified the action of the Kannada activists against Belgaum Mayor Vijay Pandurang More in Bangalore. He felt that the treatment meted out to the Belgaum Mayor was justified in the context of the adoption of the resolution by the corporation.

The former Deputy Chief Minister also urged the State Government to drop all cases filed against the activists of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, who were involved in the incident.

Kannada Sahitya Parishat President Chandrashekar Patil, Mayor Bharathi and MLA M.K. Somashekar were present.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail