Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (RJP)

Bengaluru, May 15: The JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda on Tuesday phoned Congress general secretary in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal and asked him to control his party leaders from talking against chief minister H D Kumaraswamy.

Gowda explained to Venugopal that unless the Congress top brass controls its leaders from talking against the chief minister, it would be difficult for the smooth functioning of the government.

“When Congress and JD(S) formed the coalition government, Congress promised to back Kumaraswamy as chief minister for the full five-year term. But now its party leaders are trying to make Siddaramaiah as the chief minister. This is nothing but an insult to the incumbent chief minister," Gowda is learnt to have conveyed.

Gowda also told Venugopal that all leaders, who have spoken on making Siddaramaiah as the chief minister again, are his staunch followers.

“We, JD(S) leaders, want the coalition government to continue and complete its full term regardless of the outcome of the Lok Sabha results in the state. Hence there is a need for all to stop making unnecessary comments regarding the present government,” Gowda is believed to have told Venugopal.