Date:03/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/03/stories/2009010352500300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Don’t quit Congress, Siddaramaiah told

Staff Reporter

Bangalore: While calling upon former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to remain in the Congress, Shivajinagar MLA and Congress leader Roshan Baig said the Congress high command would be urged to enter into a tie-up with the Janata Dal (Secular) in the general elections.

Speaking to presspersons on the sidelines of a programme organised by the Bharat Seva Dal here on Friday, Mr. Baig said that forming another party and keeping it afloat was difficult. “Several leaders, including D. Devaraj Urs and Kengal Hanumanthaiya, tried it in the past and failed. My request to Mr. Siddaramaiah is to stay in the Congress,” he said.

On the Congress faring badly in the byelections, Mr. Baig said that poor political management was the main reason behind the defeat.

“We have gone terribly wrong somewhere. I feel ashamed that we even lost in Maddur, the hometown of veteran Congress leader S.M. Krishna, where the party candidate lost his deposit,” he said.

Probe sought

The Government should order an inquiry into the foreign funding of several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the State, Mr. Baig said.

He added: “The Minister of State for Home of the then BJP-led National Democratic Alliance Government had said on the floor of the Lok Sabha that NGOs in Karnataka received foreign funding of over Rs. 4,000 crore. However, there are many bogus NGOs that function only to get the funding and nothing else.”