K.S. Eshwarappa comes down heavily on Congress party, State government

Former Minister K.S. Eshwarappa has expressed disappointment over the recent developments in the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council, stating that he has never witnessed the legislators’ use of language stoop so low in his political career.

Addressing the media here on February 7, Mr. Eshwarappa, a five-time MLA and former MLC, said that the way K.M. Shivalinge Gowda, Congress MLA, and Naseer Ahmed, Congress MLC, spoke was highly deplorable. “The chairman of the Legislative Council, Basavaraj Horatti, also resorted to using harsh words against legislators, as he could not tolerate the comments made by the Congress MLC,” said Mr. Eshwarappa. The former Minister remarked that some legislators were behaving like drunkards who roam aimlessly on the streets.

He also opined that there was no effective government ruling in the State. The people in power had lost the trust of contractors, as there had been an inordinate delay in clearing the bills. Mr. Eshwarappa stated that he had sought the development of the Yelavatti tank near Shivamogga, and the Minister for Minor Irrigation, N.S. Boseraju, had allotted funds for the work at his request. “However, there was no contractor to take up the work; none responded to the tender process. When I spoke with some of the contractors, they said they did not participate in the bidding process because they were not sure of getting paid. This incident alone shows the absence of an active government in the State,” said the former Minister.

Further, referring to the statements by Congress leaders, including Yathindra Siddaramaiah, on the change in leadership, Mr. Eshwarappa said that such developments would prompt him to doubt the existence of he Congress high command. “Followers of Siddaramaiah and D.K. Shivakumar are engaged in expressing their statements, favouring their leaders shamelessly,” he alleged.