It was sabotage from within: Siddaramaiah on Council polls
Mysuru: The Congress did not win expected number of seats in the Legislative Council elections, held recently, as some leaders within the party sabotaged the chances of official candidates, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah here on Saturday.
On his arrival at the Mysuru Airport to participate in a series of programmes on Saturday and Sunday, he said that the ruling party had expected to win in Belagavi, Kolar and Chikkamagaluru.
Asked if he plans to take any disciplinary action against these leaders, he said, “If there is any recommendation from respective local units, we will initiate action.” On Congress’s Gopalaswamy winning from Hassan, the stronghold of JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda, he said, “Our party workers were confident and they have made it possible.”
On JD(S), which won only four seats in the Council polls, stating that it would make an impact on ZP and TP polls, he said, “There is nothing wrong in being optimistic. But the number of seats that the JD(S) won in the Council elections reflects their actual strength.” On his expectations for panchayat elections, he said, “We expect to win in at least 20 districts.”
On the increase in milk prices, he said, “There was pressure from KMF to increase prices for a long time now. It has been over two-and-a-half years since the last price hike was effected. As the prices of animal feed and salaries of labourers have increased, the hike in milk price was inevitable. Rs 2.50-3 will be given as subsidy to farmers, while '1 goes to the establishment. Still, milk prices in the state are the lowest in the country. Even after the hike from Rs 29 to Rs 33, it is still lower than the national average of Rs 38,” he said.
Asked if it was aimed at wooing the electorate, he said, “The milk price hike is not connected with the elections.”
Adequate funds for R&D
Ahead of the Indian Science Congress to be hosted for 10th time in state and on Nobel Laureate Venkatraman Ramakrishnan’s comment that there is not enough funding for research he said, “There has been adequate funding for research in the state. Recently, Bharat Ratna C.N.R. Rao lauded that funds for science and technology has increased manifold after the Congress government came into power in the state.”
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