Bengaluru: In a direct challenge to former Chamrajpet MLA and party rebel, Zameer Ahmed Khan, who quit it to join the Congress recently, JD (S) supremo, H.D. Deve Gowda not only inducted Congress leader, Altaf Khan into the party on Monday, but also promptly announced him as its candidate for the constituency for the coming assembly poll.
Addressing reporters, Mr Gowda said in an obvious reference to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, "Some became Ministers and some even Deputy Chief Ministers. Yet they were not content and ditched us to become CM. Now they want to finish the JD (S), but we will not sit quiet."
As for Mr Zameer Ahmed Khan, who once called him, 'Appaji' and state JD(S) chief, Kumaraswamy, 'Anna', he said, "I do not want to take names of those who criticised us. You (Mr Khan) should stop swearing on your mother. Those who visit Mecca and Medina would not do this. At 10.15 am I have given the party flag and the reins of the party in Chamarajpet to Altaf." Claiming that he was personally familiar with the voter and caste composition of Chamarajpet, he asserted he had no doubt Mr Altaf would win. "All communities here were disillusioned. Mr Zameer Khan may be a Muslim leader, but I am a people's leader," the JD(S) patriarch declared. Recalling Congress president, Rahul Gandhi's comment that the JD(Secular) was actually JD (Sangh Parivar), he said he was a political novice, who should be advised against speaking in this manner .
