Siddaramaiah to quit Assembly seat tomorrow

Bangalore, July 13 (UNI) Former Deputy Chief Minister and All India Progressive Janata Dal (AIPJD) leader Siddaramaiah, who is all set to join the Congress in Karnataka, will submit his resignation from Assembly membership tomorrow.

Mr Siddaramaiah, who had already held a round of discussions with Congress President Sonia Gandhi, told newspersons here that he would meet Assembly Speaker Krishna tomorrow and submit his papers.

He was elected to the Assembly on Janata Dal (Secular) ticket from Chamundeswari constituency in Mysore.

Mr Siddaramaiah said he would leave for Delhi on July 17 and meet Ms Gandhi the next day to chalk out the future course of action.

The former JD(S) leader fell out of grace with former Prime Minister and JD(S) President H D Deve Gowda and was stripped of his Deputy Chief Ministership in the previous Congress-JD(S) coalition Government. He had also been suspended from the party for indulging in ''anti-party'' activities. The main charge against him was that he had attended a meeting of Scheduled Castes, dalits and minorities in Hubli, despite the party leadership directing him against it.

Though Mr Siddaramaiah had floated a separate party, he had been continuing as JD(S) member in the Assembly.

UNI SR-VK RL HT1608