Mysuru: Clearly stung by former Chief Minister, S.M Krishna's claim that his administration was the worst he had seen in 55 years in Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah advised the veteran politician on Tuesday to recall the performance of his own government in the state.
"During Mr S.M. Krishna's reign from 1999 to 2004, 30 ministers of his Cabinet lost the assembly elections, and the number of MLAs fell from 140 to 60," he pointed out .
Mr Krishna, who recently left the Congress to join the BJP and is campaigning for it for the coming bypolls, had in biting criticism of the Siddaramaiah government on Monday claimed it lacked vision and commitment to take the state forward in terms of development. Responding to the criticism, the Chief Minister countered that it was time Mr Krishna recalled how "good and visionary" his government was. He was speaking to reporters before leaving for campaigning in 14 villages of Nanjangud constituency.
Addressing a public meeting in Hullalli later, he took on another veteran and former revenue minister, Mr V Srinivasprasad, who also quit the Congress to join the BJP and is contesting as its candidate from Nanjangud.
He claimed he had resigned for personal reasons, forcing an election on the people suffering a drought. In veiled criticism of the former minister, he added," We are not making any personal comments against anybody. It's not right to seek personal vengeance in politics."
Countering the claim of BJP leaders that the bypolls would be a referendum on his government, he said no byelection could be an indicator of things to come in an assembly election.
"BJP leaders are day dreaming that we will lose power much before our term is up in 2018. But I will present my budget next March too. After a crow sat on my car, astrologers said I would not present a single budget after that, but I presented three," he noted.
Dismissing the BJP's claim that there was a Modi wave in the country, he asked, "If there is a wave why didn't it have an impact in Punjab or in Manipur? The party will not be able to sow seeds of communalism in Karnataka, which is the land of social reformer Basavanna."
BJP complains to poll panel on corrupt practices of Congress govt
The state BJP has filed a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer alleging that the ruling Congress is involved in corrupt practices in its bid to win the Nanjangud and Gundlupet Assembly byelections for which polling will be held on April 9.
The BJP stated in the complaint that police and revenue officials are acting like election agents of the Congress in both constituencies.
Officials are checking the vehicles of Union parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar and BJP state president B.S.Yeddyurappa but are not following the same procedure with Congress leaders who can easily transport money in government vehicles, stated the complaint. The Election Commission must direct the state government to change or transfer the officers on poll duty, said the party.
Speaking to reporters after submitting the memorandum to poll officials, BJP MLA B.N. Vijaykumar said, "Since the polls are only four days away, we have requested them to conduct free and fair elections. We have requested the poll panel to take necessary action against errant officials who colluded with Congress leaders," he said.
