Date:30/01/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/01/30/stories/2006013005980300.htm

Karnataka - Mysore

A sincere Deve Gowda would have thrown Kumaraswamy out of party: Siddaramaiah

Staff Correspondent

Congress leadership criticised for doing little to save Dharam Singh Government

Deve Gowda accused of not trying to stop the Kumaraswamy faction from aligning with the BJP

The former Deputy Chief Minister to focus on strengthening AIPJD

MYSORE: The former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, deserves an award for staging a "classic political drama" that paved the way for his son H.D. Kumaraswamy to become Chief Minister of the State, the former Deputy Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, has said.

Speaking to presspersons after releasing the Year Planner 2006, brought out by the Mysore Reporters' Guild here on Sunday, Mr. Siddaramaiah said Mr. Deve Gowda's unmatchable political histrionics should bring him the Dada Saheb Phalke award, which is the most prestigious award given by the Government to film personalities.

Asked to predict Mr. Deve Gowda's political future, the former Deputy Chief Minister said he will become the "defacto" Chief Minister of the State.

Recalling the sequence of events that led to the resignation of Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh following the Governor's invitation to Mr. Kumaraswamy to form the next Government, Mr. Siddaramaiah said he had predicted the turn of events on January 18 during an interview to a television channel.

"The entire political coup by Mr. Kumaraswamy has been scripted by Mr. Deve Gowda," he said.

He said Mr. Deve Gowda did not make any genuine attempts to prevent the Kumaraswamy-led Janata Dal (Secular) faction from aligning with the Bharatiya Janata Party which Mr. Deve Gowda had himself referred to as "communal party".

"If he had been sincere, he could have expelled Mr. Kumaraswamy from the party. All the MLAs who followed him would have returned to the party," Mr. Siddaramaiah said.

Instead of admitting to his ambition to make his son Chief Minister, Mr. Deve Gowda has resorted to this political drama. "It is an insult to the people of the State," he added.

He accused Mr. Deve Gowda of destroying the democratic set-up of the party. On his political future, Mr. Siddaramaiah said he will concentrate on strengthening the All India Progressive Janata Dal (AIPJD). To a question, he said there is no proposal for the AIPJD to join or merge with the Congress.

Mr. Siddaramaiah criticised the Congress leadership for doing little to save the Dharam Singh Government.

The former Minister H.C. Mahadevappa said the recent political changes in the State are neither guided by ideology nor are they meant to implement pro-people programmes. "It was opportunism displayed by a few people to fulfil their personal goals," he said.