The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : KPCC chief trains guns on BJP

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Monday, Nov 05, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

KPCC chief trains guns on BJP

Special Correspondent

Kharge holds it responsible for political turmoil in the State

BJP accused of being hungry for power
‘Congress will expose opportunism of JD(S), BJP’

Bangalore: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president M. Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party for withdrawing support to the H.D Kumaraswamy-led government, and for not negotiating with the Janata Dal (S) for transfer of power, thus plunging the State into political turmoil.

Speaking to presspersons, Mr. Kharge said there would not have been a calamity had the BJP allowed Mr. Kumaraswamy to continue in the post for a month before the transfer of power to it.

Accompanied by the former KPCC presidents, Allum Veerabhadrappa and V.S. Kaujalagi, and the former Ministers, H.C. Srikantaiah, Kagodu Thimmappa and Ramesh Kumar, Mr. Kharge alleged that the BJP was power-hungry.

He recalled how B.S. Yeddyurappa rushed back to Bangalore from Tumkur abandoning the party yatra following a rumour that the Janata Dal (S) was willing to work out the modalities for power transfer. He even stopped his criticism of Janata Dal (S) president H.D. Deve Gowda.

“Why did the BJP Ministers resign? Why was the support to Mr. Kumaraswamy withdrawn in such a hurry, and in what way is the Congress responsible for the BJP’s failure to come to power? he asked.

Mr. Kharge said that normally agitations were planned to redress injustice done to the people, but perhaps for the first time a political party organised a dharna for power, putting people in the city to great hardships.

It was Mr. Deve Gowda who wrote letters to President Pratibha Patil and Governor Rameshwar Thakur making it clear that elections were the only alternative. The Janata Dal (S) issued full-page advertisements attacking the BJP, and it had now put 12 conditions for providing support to the BJP.

The Congress should not be held responsible for this, he added.

“It is a shame that the BJP is ready to take the support of a party that had heaped abuse on it,” Mr. Kharge said. The people were laughing at the whimsical behaviour of both parties, he said.

Mr. Kharge said the Congress had decided to expose their opportunist politics before the people.

A public meeting would be held at the Palace Grounds here on Monday.

He said that this would be made a campaign at the district and block levels also.

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