Former Karnataka chief minister and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah has targeted his alliance partner and former CM HD Kumaraswamy, blaming the latter for the collapse of the Janata Dal Secular (JDS)-Congress government.
Speaking to mediapersons in Mysuru on Sunday, the Congress veteran claimed that Kumaraswamy treated him “as an enemy”, adding that it was the JDS leader’s behaviour that led to all the problems in the coalition.
“HD Kumaraswamy never treated me as a friend or confidant, but instead considered me as an enemy and that led to all the problems,” said Siddaramaiah.
Before the JDS-Congress government collapsed in Karnataka, several reports had suggested that all was not well in the coalition, which was formed to stop the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from regaining power in the state.
Amid the recent political drama in Karnataka, which witnessed the ouster of Kumaraswamy-led JDS-Congress government and return of BS Yediyurappa as the Chief Minister of Karnataka, a senior leader of the Congress party had accused Siddaramaiah of sabotaging the coalition.
Referring to the former chief minister as “a thief inside the party”, the Congress leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, had told news agency ANI that Siddaramaiah was “playing games for his prestige”.