Mangaluru: State JD(S) chief, HD Kumaraswamy took strong objection on Tuesday to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's assertion that the Congress was not ready for an alliance with his party.
"Did we come to you for an alliance? We did not. It was the Congress that came to our doors during the Nanjangud and Gundlupet byelections. And it wanted our help in the BBMP. Whenever you had a problem you came to us, but we never approached you," he said, speaking to reporters before a meeting with intellectuals in Mangaluru.
Mr Kumaraswamy explained that as the Congress had created "confusion" during the last Rajya Sabha election, the JD(S) asked it to vote for it during the coming RS poll to avoid such an eventuality. But this did not mean it was not capable of winning on its own steam. Warning Mr Siddaramaiah not to speak lightly of his party, he asserted, "We have the power to win. Siddaramaiah should stop such arrogant talk. Power and money have made him arrogant. Let him come to the election 'akhada' and we will show him our strength. If he continues such talk, the Congress will be wiped out in Karnataka, the only state where it exists now."
Hitting out at the Congress and BJP for "dividing society" in the pursuit of power, he claimed they did not care about peace or development. The JDS leader said his party hoped to win at least 2 seats from the region.
