Mysuru: Dismissing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's contention that the Nanjangud byelection was not a proxy battle between them, veteran leader, Srinivasprasad insisted on Thursday that it was and everyone was aware of it.
Reacting to the Chief Minister's comments , he told the Deccan Chronicle, "He (Siddaramaiah) has himself said he will lead the campaign and bring his entire cabinet and even AICC members to ensure the victory of the party candidate. So clearly the candidate is symbolic and the real battle is between Siddaramaiah and I."
As for the CM's comment that had he quit the Congress after enjoying several years of power, Mr Srinivasprasad shot back, "Did he not resign from the JDS after he was removed as minister of excise and finance? So did he too not enjoy power and then quit?"
On the Chief Minister addressing him in the singular, he said in disgust, "He has no culture. His entry into politics was only an accident. He doesn't answer a single question properly. He is egoistical. Did he not come to my doorsteps to launch Ahinda? Was I not the one who told him to contest from Varuna? He doesn't remember any of this."
Pointing out that the Congress still did not have a party office in Nanjangud, and the posts of two block Congress presidents in the constituency remained vacant, he said despite the party's claims of having a choice from 30 candidates to contest the bypoll, it had to rely on an outsider to take him on. " He Siddaramaiah) should be ashamed of himself!" he added.
