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Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said that former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, and Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy who had openly criticised the RSS and Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier, had now joined hands with the BJP just for their own political existence.
Mr. Siddaramaiah, campaigning for the byelection to Davangere South Assembly constituency, told presspersons in Davangere to recall what all Mr. Deve Gowda, Mr. Kumaraswamy, and Mr. Narayanaswamy had spoken about the RSS and Mr. Modi when they were outside the BJP fold.
“These people have joined hands with the BJP to save their existence. What morality do they have to criticise us?,” he asked.
The Chief Minister said that the people had appreciated the guarantee schemes. However, the BJP was opposing the guarantee schemes which were pro poor. “People don’t have any reason to support the BJP which is anti-poor and anti-Constitution,” he said.
On Mr. Kumaraswamy’s statement that it was the people who wanted them to contest elections, Mr. Siddaramaiah sought to know then why his (HDK) son was defeated in Channapatna. “There is nothing wrong in contesting election when people want it. But why contest when people reject you,” he asked.
To a query on Housing Minister B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan spending less time in Davangere for canvassing, he said that Mr. Khan had worked for the party in Kerala, Bagalkot, and other places including Davangere. Being a disciplined soldier of the party, he (Zameer) had clear message to the electorate and the workers, he said.
Mr. Siddaramaiah said that Mr. Narayanaswamy took benefit of the party when in the Congress and now he had joined the BJP and was reaping benefits.
The Chief Minister said that when he was the JD(S) president, the party had won 59 seats and never won so many seats subsequently. Now it had come down to 19 seats, he said.
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