Udupi: Former Chief Minister Siddaramiah has changed seven parties in his political career and thus is a great defector, accused BJP Leader and Former Minister Pramod Madhwaraj.
Speaking at the press meet organised at his residence in Ammunje here on Friday January 27, Pramod Madhwaraj said the above in reply to Siddaramiah and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President D. K. Shivakumar’s allegations during the Prajadwani Convention at Udupi that that Pramod Madhwaraj was a defector. Pramod said that, “Siddaramaiah addressed me as a defector, isn’t he a defector? In 1978, Siddaramaiah, who was in Nanjundaswamy’s Karnataka Raithasangha, joined Bharatiya Lok Dal, then Samajwadi Janata Dal, Janata Dal and Secular Janata Dal in 1983. Later, he got angry because the post of Deputy Chief Minister was removed. While still in the JD (S), he formed Ahinda and engaged in anti-party activities. Post that Siddaramaiah, who joined the Congress for his own selfishness, now accuses me of being a defector.”
Stating that defection is common in Indian politics, he clarified that he was not the first to switch sides.
Pramod questioning that are there no people from other parties in the present Congress, said that if people from other parties can come to Congress, it is right that they should not go to other parties from Congress. He challenged the KPCC to decide that the Congress will not induct anyone from other parties.
During the last Lok Sabha elections, during the JD (S) collaboration, he technically joined the JD (S) and submitted his nomination papers in the presence of Congress Leaders. “Siddaramaiah himself came to campaign for me in Chikkamagaluru,” he recollected.
Congress received money from JD (S) during the election, but I never received any money, he alleged and said that the money given by the party was distributed equally to Udupi and Chikkamagaluru.
As a Cabinet-level Minister in his cabinet, Siddaramaiah, who used singularly unspoken words for me, questioned how he behaved with the common people. He said that using bad words like Siddaramaiah will hinder us.
Responding to D. K. Shivakumar’s allegation that not only Pramod Madhwaraj but also his father and mother had been given a chance by the Congress, Pramod had betrayed the Congress, Pramod said that, “I had provided a base for the Congress which had been defeated in Udupi.”
Pramod Madhwaraj said that the Former Chief Minister, KPCC President, Foreign Minister and Great Leader of Congress Party joined the BJP from the Congress and why D. K. Shivakumar who later had a matrimonial alliance with the family did not feel like a defector?, questioned Pramod.
“BJP will win five seats in Udupi,” he said reacting to the calls of Siddaramaiah and DK to defeat him if he is given a BJP ticket. “No matter which party comes to power in the next election, Congress should not come to power,” he staressed and predicted that the BJP will come back to power on its own strength.
“I did not join BJP out of any desire, he said and added that he will contest if the party gives him the opportunity, otherwise he will work hard for the victory of the party as an activist.
In reply to Shivakumar’s allegation that the BJP is not giving a chance to Pramod to sit with leaders on the stage but to sit in front of the leaders down, Pramod Madhwaraj said that BJP is one of gthe reatest party which is very systematic than Congress. “There was always a rush to occupy the leader’s seat on the dais. But, the BJP is not like that,” he clarified.
