Bengaluru: Water resources minister D.K. Shivakumar on Wednesday stopped short of lambasting former chief minister Siddaramaiah over the leader expressing doubts about longevity of the coalition government and asserted that such statements would not affect the functioning of the administration.
Speaking to reporters here, Mr Shivakumar said the government would function effectively irrespective of statements made by any leaders. “We are disciplined soldiers of our party. We do not air our grievances in public. There is a forum where our grouses are discussed and sorted out. This applies to everyone including myself. Nobody is bigger than the party in our set-up,” he remarked without naming Mr Siddarmaiah.
He added that central leaders of Congress have resolved the question of who should function as Chief Minister for the next five years. “As per this agreement, our party has agreed to give the position to Mr Kumaraswamy though his party secured only 37 seats in the 224 member Assembly,” he added.
According to Mr Shivakumar, only party general secretary in-charge of Karnataka, K. C. Venugopal and party president Rahul Gandhi, are authorized to speak on the coalition arrangement. “They are the ones who take decisions, not us,” he added.
Irked by questions on a video clip in which Mr Siddarmaiah reportedly raised doubts about the longevity of the government, Mr Shivakumar suspected the hand of some miscreants in such video clips making it to television channels.
He clarified that he would not attend the first day of budget session commencing on Monday. “I will not be there (in the Assembly). Don’t telecast news that I missed it because I am angry with Mr Kumaraswamy. Nothing of that sort is happening. I am telling the media in advance that I will be attending an important programme in Nonavinakere Math. I am the working president of this Math’s trust. Therefore, I will be busy with this programme and will not attend the first day of the budget session,” he remarked.
