Daijiworld Media Network - Kolar (SP)

Kolar, Jun 24: Following in the lines of veteran Congress leader M Veerappa Moily, another senior Congress leader and former union minister K H Muniyappa, has expressed himself against the coalition arrangement between his party and the JD(S). He said that both the Congress and the JD(S) performed miserably because they faced Lok Sabha election after arriving at an understanding.

Speaking at a programme organized at Malur in the district on Sunday July 23 to congratulate victorious members of the municipal council, he asked the party high command to delve into the matter of both the parties facing utter defeat in the Lok Sabha election. "Former chief minister Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president Dinesh Gundu Rao, and myself had tried to convince the high command about the futility of reaching an understanding for the election. If there was a three-cornered contest, Congress would have bagged 15 Lok Sabha seats, and JD(S) would have got a minimum of three three eats," he felt.

Muniyappa said that the high command felt that it would give wrong signal to the people if the two parties of the ruling coalition fight against each other. "We had to bow before the high command instructions. Since the 35 years, we were bitter rivals in elections in the plains. Although we came together under the coalition, our party workers did not become one. In the coming election, we do not need any kind of understanding. We can keep at least friendly fight," he said.

Muniyappa strongly advocated against going in for interim poll. He said that it would be wiser for now to follow the high command's diktats and support the state government to survive the remaining four years tenure.

State home minister M B Patil however, begged to differ. He pointed out that the party had faced reverses even in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan where it had no truck with other parties.