Siddaramaiah regrets having associated with Deve Gowda

Bangalore, July 18 (UNI) Former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and suspended Janata Dal (Secular) leader S Siddaramaiah today regretted having associated with former Prime Minister and JD(S) National President H D Deve Gowda.

Speaking to newsmen minutes before submitting his resignation to the Assembly seat to the Speaker Krishna, he said Mr Deve Gowda had buried all ideologies to make his son H D Kumaraswamy the Chief Minister of the state. By joining hands with the communal forces his (Mr Gowda's) hidden agenda and true colours had been exposed.

He had successfully damaged the third front in the state and betrayed the people's aspirations, he said that in the absence of it he was leaning towards the Congress which was secular in nature.

Replying to queries, he said he was pained at the recent developments as he was suspended from the party for no reason at all. Being the founder President of the JD(S) he had contributed to the growth of the party in his own way, he added.

He would also send resignation to the primary memnbership of the party, he said.

He said the state's economy was back on its track because of the sound financial discipline maintained by him during his tenure as the Finance Minister.

On the Coalition set up headed by H D Kumaraswamy, he said developmental activities had come to a standstill now. Within five months after assuming power, the government was mired in controversies and bribe charges, he chided.

Mr Siddaramaiah said he would soon meet Congres President Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi to formally discuss about joining Congress.

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