Karnataka

JD(S) reiterates stand on tie-up

HUBLI: State unit president of the Janata Dal (Secular) H.D. Kumaraswamy said here on Wednesday that there was no secret tie-up with the Congress for the coming byelections.

Addressing presspersons, Mr. Kumaraswamy said that if at all the Janata Dal (S) wanted to have an understanding it would be an open one and ruled out any tie-up with the Congress.

In fact, it was the BJP and the Congress that had entered into a secret pact in places where the Janata Dal (S) was strong during the Assembly elections, Mr. Kumaraswamy alleged.

He claimed that the Janata Dal (S) was the real Opposition party. Mr. Kumaraswamy admitted that he was the “captain of a sinking ship,” but said activists and leaders of the party had the capability of taking it to the shore, and the party’s convention in Bangalore had showed their strength.

“All the rats in the boat escaped from the sinking ship and only tigers had stayed back, and they would definitely make the ship sail again,” he said.

To a query, he said the stiff competition for party ticket had delayed the announcement of candidates for the bypolls and added that the list would be announced in two days.

The BJP’s rule had clearly shown that it had failed to fulfil the aspirations of the people, especially those from north Karnataka who had elected BJP candidates in large numbers. The BJP MLAs themselves had expressed their disappointment, he said.

Mr. Kumaraswamy took exception to Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa’s statement that the power crisis was because of the policies of the previous governments.

He referred to the power projects at Tadadi and Chamalapur that were initiated during the Janata Dal (S)-BJP regime, and claimed that they were opposed by the BJP leaders. The projects in Raichur, Bellary and Varahi for production of 500 MW of power were also initiated during the coalition government.

Mr. Kumaraswamy charged that the State Government had failed on all fronts. It had not honoured its commitments made in the budget and its promise on earlier programmes. Pensions for the disabled, the aged and widows had been pending for several months and although the academic year started long ago, the Government was still in the process of floating tenders for purchase of bicycles, he said.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said he had accepted the Chief Minister’s challenge to the Opposition for a debate on the budget. But Mr. Yeddyurappa was yet to fix the date.

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