Leak, leak! Siddaramaiah ties up HD Kumaraswamy's budget in more tape
BENGALURU: A video leak a day seems to be former CM Siddaramaiah’s strategy to keep the coalition government headed by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy off balance, with the latest leak setting off fresh doubts about the longevity of the month-old administration.
Close on the heels of one video where Mr Siddaramaiah spoke out against his successor’s move to present a new budget on July 5, comes another. This time, it made its way to local television channels with the former chief minister expressing his scepticism over whether the coalition government would even last its full term of five years. “Five years ..difficult...let's see what will happen after the parliament elections (in 2019). They (government) will remain until parliament elections. After that, what developments will happen (we will have to see)," says the leader in his trademark baritone to Dakshina Kannada district Congress leaders including Ivan D’Souza, MLC, during a chat at Shantivana nature cure hospital in Dharmasthala.
The latest video has triggered speculation about cracks within the month-old coalition with a red-faced DyCM Dr G. Parameshwar issuing a statement later on that the government would complete its full term. “I have not seen it (video). When we reached an understanding (to form the government), we had agreed to run the government for five years. We will run the government for five years. I am saying that I am the state president but what could happen in politics and when, no one can predict. If you repeatedly ask the same thing I will say the same. I am saying it official that we will run the government for five years,” he told the media on Tuesday.
A third video clip with Mr Siddaramaiah venting his ire to Dr Parameshwar about lack of security measures to stop visitors from recording his conversations, too, was telecast by regional television channels.
Sources in the hospital, however, pointed fingers at the former chief minister, hinting that these videos were deliberately leaked to the media at his behest. The authorities expressed displeasure about the number of visitors turning up to meet Mr Siddaramaiah in violation of the rules.
When visitors do not show up, Mr Siddaramaiah strolls around the campus, chatting with others undergoing treatment or staff of the hospital, obliging requests for selfies with him.
More to BSY’s visit to a’bad?
State BJP president B.S. Yeddyurappa may have denied any move to 'fish in troubled waters' following the rift in the JD(S)-Congress coalition over the state budget but his decision to dash to Ahmedabad to meet party national chief Amit Shah obviously proves there is more here than what meets the eye.
"We will 'silently' watch the happenings in the coalition without trying to take advantage of the confusing situation and focus on 2019," said BSY after his sudden trip to the Gujarat capital. Or did he receive signals from a section in the Congress that they have had enough and were ready to switch sides? Is a toppling game on?
