The spat between Deve Gowda and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is almost a decade old (File)
Bengaluru:
In what is being seen by many as a sign of the Janata Dal (Secular) coming closer to the BJP ahead of elections in Karnataka, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda has refused to share the dais with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on February 7 at Shrawanbelegola for Mahamastakabhishek of Lord Mahaveer.
President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are expected to attend the event in the Hassan District of Karnataka.
"I have not seen a useless government like this in my life. The President is coming on February 7, now the new Deputy Commissioner has been sent... what will he do in such a short time? Some minister wants to make money and hence the DC has been replaced. There is nothing to do... when the President comes, as a representative of that district, I will have to go there but I will not share the platform where the CM will sit," said an agitated Deve Gowda.
The JD(S) leader is annoyed by the transfer of Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sinduri. She was transferred on Monday along with many civil servants in the state.
"Many officers were transferred... it was an administrative exercise," reacted the Chief Minister.
The spat between Deve Gowda and the chief minister is almost a decade old, since Siddaramaiah was expelled by Deve Gowda from the Janta Dal (Secular) in 2005 over allegations of anti-party activities. He was blamed for making efforts to split the JD(S) in favour of the Congress.
Siddaramaiah was immediately picked up by the Congress and in 2006 when Deve Gowda's son Kumaraswami toppled the coalition government led by Dharm Singh and formed government with the BJP despite open resistance by Deve Gowda, Siddaramaiah reacted sharply over it by saying that if Deve Gowda was against Kumaraswami, he should have expelled him from his party.
Since then the cold war between Deve Gowda and Siddaramaiah has been brewing.
But Deve Gowda's stand against Siddaramaiah now is adding to the rumour that there may be a clandestine pre-election deal between the JD(S) and the BJP over fielding strong candidates where the Congress is either dominating or may dominate.
The JDS and the BJP had won 40 seats each in the last assembly polls in the 224 seat (1 nominated member takes to 225) Karnataka assembly.
President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are expected to attend the event in the Hassan District of Karnataka.
"I have not seen a useless government like this in my life. The President is coming on February 7, now the new Deputy Commissioner has been sent... what will he do in such a short time? Some minister wants to make money and hence the DC has been replaced. There is nothing to do... when the President comes, as a representative of that district, I will have to go there but I will not share the platform where the CM will sit," said an agitated Deve Gowda.
The JD(S) leader is annoyed by the transfer of Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sinduri. She was transferred on Monday along with many civil servants in the state.
"Many officers were transferred... it was an administrative exercise," reacted the Chief Minister.
The spat between Deve Gowda and the chief minister is almost a decade old, since Siddaramaiah was expelled by Deve Gowda from the Janta Dal (Secular) in 2005 over allegations of anti-party activities. He was blamed for making efforts to split the JD(S) in favour of the Congress.
Siddaramaiah was immediately picked up by the Congress and in 2006 when Deve Gowda's son Kumaraswami toppled the coalition government led by Dharm Singh and formed government with the BJP despite open resistance by Deve Gowda, Siddaramaiah reacted sharply over it by saying that if Deve Gowda was against Kumaraswami, he should have expelled him from his party.
Since then the cold war between Deve Gowda and Siddaramaiah has been brewing.
But Deve Gowda's stand against Siddaramaiah now is adding to the rumour that there may be a clandestine pre-election deal between the JD(S) and the BJP over fielding strong candidates where the Congress is either dominating or may dominate.
The JDS and the BJP had won 40 seats each in the last assembly polls in the 224 seat (1 nominated member takes to 225) Karnataka assembly.
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