Bidar: Congress leader and former deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Thursday that the Chamundeshwari byelection was a black mark in State politics.

He was here to offer puja to the Shambhulingeswhar temple at Rekulagi in Bidar taluk. He said it was the worst election he had ever seen. Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy took it as a prestige issue and camped in Mysore for over a month neglecting administration.

"He spread hatred among communities. He misused government machinery. The government officials were involved in campaigning for the JD(S)-BJP candidate. The police constables were used to distribute money and liquor among voters. Unprecedented amount of money and liquor were spent," Mr. Siddaramaiah said.

He criticised the Janata Dal (Secular) president and former Prime Minister, H.D Deve Gowda, for carrying on systematic false campaigns against him.

"Mr. Deve Gowda had declared that I betrayed his family and that god will punish me for that. Now that I have won the polls, everyone knows who has cheated who and who will god punish," he said.

He criticised Mr. Deve Gowda for turning his family into a centre of power. His son was the Chief Minister. Another son held important portfolios such as Power, Public Works Department and Ports, he said.

"I will start a tour of the State soon and expose the Government's misrule. I will organise the party and prepare it for the urban local body elections," Mr. Siddaramaiah said. He criticised the Government for deliberately delaying the urban local body polls.

He criticised the Chief Minister for announcing the crop loan "without making proper fiscal preparations". This would cost the State exchequer Rs. 6,000 crore.

The Government had made no budgetary allocation for this.

He described as "impractical", the State Government's proposal to acquire encroached lands around Bangalore, sell them and adjust the money thus generated against losses suffered due to loan waiver.

Taking a dig at the Chief Minister for his night stay in villages, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the Chief Minister spent the night at the huts of poor people. But did he not know that his host did not get a ration card?, he asked.

Earlier, Mr. Siddaramaiah spent three hours at the cave beneath the temple with astrologer and Congress worker N.V.Reddy.

He was later felicitated by party workers.

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