Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (MS)
Bengaluru, Dec 20: JD(S) leader and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday December 20 challenged opposition leader and former alliance partner Siddaramaiah to form a regional party and win at least 10 seats. The jibe is the latest in the verbal war of words between the two leaders over the last month.
In a series of tweets, Kumaraswamy said, "I would have preferred not responding to Siddaramaiah's bragging. However, his double standards, apparent in his speech in Chamundeshwari, needs to be addressed. Let him speak anything he wants there. But I must speak on his statement that Kumaraswamy would not be allowed to become CM."
Kumaraswamy was tweeting in reply to a statement given by Siddaramaiah in Chamundeshwari constituency of Mysuru during the gram panchayat election campaign that JD(S) had a secret pact with the BJP which caused him to lose the 2018 Assembly elections from Chamundeshwari.
In another tweet, Kumaraswamy said, "You are now under the shadow of a national party. Form a regional party from scratch and show your capability by winning 10 seats on your own strength. Then talk about the leadership of JD(S). Only then can we accept your capability."
Kumaraswamy accused Siddaramaiah of having had an internal understanding with opponents to get some of his own Congress leaders defeated in some previous elections as he feared getting sidelined within the party.
"Siddaramaiah, who is the king of striking internal political deals, should not be talking about JD(S) making deals. He claims he lost Chamundeshwari constituency because of JD(S) secret pact with the BJP. If that were true, why would we have let him win from Badami?" he tweeted.
Kumaraswamy further tweeted, "You never speak about the clandestine political agreement as you are the one who started it. You are not aware about the leadership and hardwork that is required to build a regional party. It is not possible for you either.
"Are you not the one, who, in a few months' time after forming the coalition government, discussed bringing it down during discussion at Siddavana? Are not most of the people who deserted Congress and joined BJP your supporters? Do not show your crooked policy to get away from the accusation of bringing the coalition government down.
"Even after resigning from the CM's post, you did not vacate your official residence. You did not feel ashamed in that respect. When you were CM, you used to go from the office suddenly at 6 pm and used to disappear. Do you have the morality to question me, who used to work till midnight?" he questioned Siddaramaiah.
"Does Siddaramaiah have the moral right to speak about me..I used to work at the office till 12 in the night while he used to go to undisclosed locations after 6 pm during his tenure."
"If he (Siddaramaiah) introspects rightly, he will have to quit Congress," he said.