The Hindu : National : ‘Somanna and BJP are made for each other’

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Tuesday, Aug 04, 2009
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‘Somanna and BJP are made for each other’

Special Correspondent

BANGALORE: Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Siddaramiah on Monday accused the Housing and Muzrai Minister V. Somanna of blackmailing the Bharatiya Janata Party, first when it was short of a majority and later during the Lok Sabha elections, saying that he would not join the party if he was not assured a Cabinet berth.

Addressing a well-attended election meeting of Congress workers from all the 239 booths and residents of the Govindarajanagar Assembly segment at Kamakshipalya, Mr. Siddaramiah said that it was a case of “made for each other”, as both the BJP and Mr. Somanna, were known to give false promises to the people.

He asked whether Mr. Somanna had taken the permission of the voters before joining the BJP, as the Congress party had given ticket, its workers and voters had worked for his success. Moreover, Mr. Somanna had joined the BJP with an ulterior motive of coming to power and making money at the cost of the voters, he added. It was a challenge to the voters, whether to teach a lesson to Mr. Somanna who had frustrated their verdict, he said.

‘Most corrupt’

Referring to the asphalting work at Cauverypura and neighbouring areas, which were going to polls, Mr. Siddaramaiah said that the funds for this had been granted by the Centre under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, but Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa had been making undue remarks about it. He dubbed the Yeddyurappa government as the most corrupt and quoted the cases of the alleged Karnataka Housing Board land scam and the Rs. 100-crore embezzlement of solid waste management scheme in the BBMP area. Finances had declined so much that the State would drift towards economic anarchy if corrective measures were not taken in the next one year, he said.

Former Union Minister M.V. Rajasekharan said that the State had seen development only during the Congress rule. MLAs Dinesh Gundu Rao, N.L. Narendra Babu and Krishna Byregowda spoke.

The Congress MLAs urged party workers to concentrate in their booths till the elections were over and have house-to-house contact and convince the voters to exercise their franchise to ensure the victory of Priya Krishna, Congress candidate in Govindarajanagar. They refuted Mr. Somanna’s claim that he had developed his constituency and said that only the main roads were clean. One should visit Padarayanapura and slums to see their pathetic condition without civic facilities, they added.

Former Minister Nazeer Ahmed said he had been against admission of Mr. Somanna to the Congress, but he succeeded in hoodwinking the senior leaders by his false assurances and now they had realised his true colours. He had cheated even former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, KPCC working president D.K. Shivakumar and Mr. Rajasekharan, Mr. Ahmed added. T.M. Rangegowda, who was defeated by Mr. Somanna in the recent elections and D.S. Srikantamurthy, senior Janata Dal (Secular) leader joined the Congress.

Mr. Priya Krishna, accompanied by senior party leaders, including his father M. Krishnappa, MLA, went on a padayatra appealing to the voters to support him in the elections and assured people of providing basic infrastructure in the constituency.

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