I have no role in coalition rift, Siddaramaiah eagerly waiting to topple HDK govt

Dr Ashwathnarayana, BJP MLA from Malleswaram constituency, is at the centre of a controversy ever since Operation Lotus unfolded. The low profile politician, who belongs to the Vokkaliga community, hit the limelight after his role in trying to unseat Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy who belongs to the Vokkaliga community too, came to light.

In fact, state BJP president B.S. Yeddyurappa had reportedly entrusted the task of bringing the rebel Congress MLAs to the party fold, to Dr Ashwathnarayana.

The BJP MLA is on good terms with rebel Congress MLA G. Umesh Jadhav and apparently agreed to convince Dr Jadhav to resign from the Assembly and join the saffron party. Soon after a photo of him standing with rebel Congress MLAs at a star hotel in Mumbai was leaked to the media, both JD(S) and Congress workers staged a protest in front of his house.

The JD(S) has been trying to brand the Malleswaram MLA as a ‘villain’ of the Vokkaliga community but an unfazed Dr Ashwathnarayana has openly challenged JD(S) workers and Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy to confront him directly. “They have no moral right to speak about me”, he said in an exclusive interview with Deccan Chronicle adding, “I will have to fight the opportunistic politics of father, sons and grandsons.” Here are excerpts.

You are at the centre of a controversy ever since Operation Lotus unfolded, now you are facing the wrath of JD(S) and Congress workers?
I have nothing to do with the internal problems of the coalition partners as the JD(S) and Congress are fighting each other. Even Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and former CM Siddaramaiah are not on good terms. Mr Siddaramaiah is eagerly waiting to topple the state government. The entire crisis happened due to the internal differences among thecoalition partners.

Operation Lotus has failed and you are now facing the wrath of the Vokkaliga community for attempting to dethrone H.D. Kumaraswamy from the CM post.
It is a conspiracy hatched against me, they (Deve Gowda family) think that by instigating the community against me, they can succeed. They are under the impression that they own the Vokkaliga community; they should shed this false impression and stop dictating terms to the community. They are self-centric to the core and don’t want others to grow in politics, they want only their family members to progress. If those outside their families grow in politics, they cannot digest it and do everything to scuttle their growth. More than that, they are capable of playing with emotions, engaging in drama and crying before the public.

But is it not true that you played a role in approaching the Congress rebels to dethrone the Kumaraswamy government?
I am on good terms with Congress MLA Dr Umesh Jadhav, having cordial ties with opposition MLAs does not mean destabilizing the state government. It is true that I met my friend Umesh Jadhav at Mumbai, but my meeting with him was personal in nature, we did not discuss politics. It is not our fault that ruling party MLAs revolted against the party leadership. If they want their MLAs to remain in the party, they must safeguard their interests. If Umesh Jadhav had an issue with the Congress leadership, it is a problem the Congress leadership has to tackle. I have not invited him to the BJP nor has the party assigned me the task of bringing Jadhav to the BJP.

Is it true that the pontiff of Adichunchanagiri Matha, Nirmalananda Swamiji reprimanded you for going against the community’s interests by opposing a Vokkaliga Chief Minister?
It is a totally false and malicious campaign. Nirmalananda Swamiji’s name has been unnecessarily dragged into this issue. Even the Swamiji felt bad about this Their intention is to tarnish my image in the community. In fact, Mr Deve Gowda and his family had harassed late seer Balagangadaranatha Swamiji. They even constituted a parallel Matha to lower the image of the Adichunchanagiri Matha, this fact is known to all.

Has BJP State President B.S.Yeddyurappa entrusted the task of Operation Lotus to you?
No, it is not true. I met Mr Jadhav in my personal capacity. My constituency voters and my well-wishers know me very well. I maintain a low profile and confine myself to my constituency. My focus is on the development of Bengaluru and on bringing better infrastructure facilities to the city. People of my constituency are aware of the fact that I don’t keep going to Delhi to meet party leaders. I don’t want to be in the limelight, my only interest in politics is to serve the people of Bengaluru and more particularly my constituency. But I do always offer my services to the party for election management or political management.

Party insiders claim that fellow Vokkaliga leaders in the BJP are trying to scuttle your growth, is it true?
If our party leaders are jealous of me, they must be feeling insecure. I am not for ‘adjustment politics’ in the city, I have developed my own identity in the party as well as among my voters. I am not the person to use public sentiment for political gain. I hate opportunistic politicians and it is immoral on my part if I support opportunistic politics.

But Janata Dal (Secular) workers are sending messages in social media that you tried to unseat a Vokkaliga Chief Minister...
What credibility does the JD(S) have? They don’t have the guts to face me and so they have unleashed a malicious campaign against me. I know that the community needs to grow, more than that, a good society and good system are the need of the hour. Father, sons and grandsons (Deve Gowda family) are involved in opportunistic politics and are using the community as a tool to attain political power. I am confident of demolishing their opportunistic politics, I will challenge them, let them confront me if they have the guts.