Karnataka   

Kumaraswamy for Tamil Nadu-model political system

RAMANAGARA: Former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Tuesday said he wanted Karnataka to follow the Tamil Nadu-model of political system where the regional parties have a strong role in State politics.

This had helped Tamil Nadu get clearance for all its development projects by bringing pressure on whichever party was at the Centre.

On the other hand, Karnataka was struggling to get justice in several issues pending before the Centre, including the classical language status for Kannada, he said.

Speaking to The Hindu during his poll campaign in Ramanagara, he alleged that national parties like the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party had failed to provide justice to Karnataka.

Mr. Kumaraswamy denied the allegations of BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurappa that the Janata Dal (S) and the Congress had a tacit poll understanding. Instead, it was the BJP which had a tacit poll understanding with the Congress regarding selection of candidates, he alleged.

He said there were several constituencies in the State where the BJP had a secret poll understanding with the local Congress leaders. Their main intention was to put up a strong resistance against the Janata Dal (S). “In Ramanagara, the Congress leaders are canvassing for the party candidate in Muslim-dominated areas and indirectly supporting the BJP candidate in other areas. It is a conspiracy to work for my defeat even if it means adopting a dual stand,” he alleged.

He said he was not perturbed by the poll challenge thrown up by former Chief Minister Ramakrishna Hegde’s daughter, Mamatha Nichani.

“She says she is depending on the achievements of her father as chief minister. But let her now understand what her father’s actual contribution to the Kanakapura Assembly constituency, which he represented as chief minister. Two hoblis from Kanakapura taluk have now been included in Ramanagara Assembly constituency. Let her visit these hoblis and find out why these taluks cannot match other hoblis of Ramanagara in terms of infrastructure development,” he said.

He also alleged that it was Mr. Hegde, who as a Union Commerce Minister, decided to allow import of China silk which affected the silk industry as well as sericulture farmers in the State, especially Ramanagara.

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