No question of quitting Congress: Siddaramaiah

Mangalore, May 23 (UNI) Karnataka Former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today clarified that he never demanded any position in the party while joining the Congress and there was no question of him quitting the party.

Replying to queries at a press conference here, the Congress leader who is in the city to campaign for Ullal Assembly bypoll, said, ''I will remain in the Congress and make all efforts to strengthen the party. None of my followers are unhappy to be in the Congress.'' Criticising the Janata Dal (S), he said it had fielded a candidate in Ullal bypoll to defeat the Congress candidate. It was the ploy of JD (S) supremo H D Deve Gowda, who had intentionally fielded a minority candidate, to divide Congress votes and indirectly help the BJP.

Mr Gowda had employed the same strategy in the Chamundeshwari by-election where he contested and won, he alleged.

He claimed that the people were deeply frustrated with the communal politics on one side and ''Father-Son family politics'' on the other, being played by Mr Gowda.

UNI