Karnataka - Madikeri   

`Siddaramaiah factor aided Congress victory'

Staff Correspondent

Former MLC A.K. Subbaiah says the Congress betrayed AIPJD during panchayat polls

Madikeri: The Congress has established its hold in the just-concluded elections to the zilla and taluk panchayats in the State because of the Siddaramaiah factor, not due to the charisma of Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh or Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President M. Mallikarjun Kharge, former MLC A.K. Subbaiah told presspersons here on Thursday.

Though the Congress betrayed the All-India Progressive Janata Dal (AIPJD), led by former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in terms of an electoral understanding, the latter supported the former in constituencies where it did not field its own candidates.

This helped the Congress emerge on top, Mr. Subbaiah said.

Support

He said Mr. Dharam Singh and Mr. Kharge made it seem as if it is impossible to run the Government in the absence of support from the Janata Dal (Ssecular).

However, several Congress leaders, including former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna, R.M. Jalappa and D.K. Shivakumar, favoured the AHINDA launched by Mr. Siddaramaiah.

That the AIPJD won a good number of seats in Mysore, Mandya and Chamarajanagar districts spoke of the popularity of Mr. Siddaramaiah as a strong political leader in the State.

The Congress will have to take note of the fact that a tie-up with the Siddaramaiah group will be to their benefit, he said.

Step down

Mr. Subbaiah asked former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (S) President H.D. Deve Gowda and the party's working president H.D. Kumaraswamy to step down.

He, who refused to accept the fact that the Janata Dal (S) had come second to the Congress, said the party's score was like a "leg-bye" in cricket.

The party's victory in Chennayanakote in Madikeri taluk was because the voters did not want to elect former Minister M.M. Nanaiah. Similarly, the Thithimathi constituency in Virajpet taluk went to the Janata Dal (S) because voters wanted the Congress candidate, Shakuntala Ravindra, a member of former Minister Suma Vassant's family, to be routed.

Regretted

He regretted having supported C.S. Arun Machaiah, MLC, who joined the Janata Dal (S) recently.

Mr. Machaiah had won the local bodies elections here as a Congress rebel and Mr. Subbaiah had supported him.

The Congress had triumphed in Somwarpet taluk because of the Somwarpet MLA B.A. Jivijaya, he added.

Hurdles

Mr. Subbaiah accused the Cauvery Sene of foiling the development works in the district in the name of conservation of environment.

The sene was putting up hurdles against the construction of the Abbi Falls Mini Hydel project.

Mr. Subbaiah, referring to the opposition from the sene and a few others to the Barapole Mini Hydel project in Virajpet taluk, said the Kodagu District Raitha Sangha will organise a movement in favour of the implementation of the project.

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