Exclusive: Will contest Karnataka polls to fight communal forces says Siddaramaiah

Unfazed by the exodus of leaders to the BJP, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah continues to be confident about the party's victory in both the constituencies of Nanjangud and Gundlupet. So what if leaders shifted their loyalties, Siddaramaiah believes that his government's work will beat all odds.

OneIndia's Anusha Ravi caught up with the Karnataka Chief Minister and got him talking about S M Krishna, why the bypolls are all important and most importantly his future in electoral politics.

What is the Congress' agenda in Nanjangud and Gundlupet for the bypoll?

The only agenda is development. Our development will speak. We will only raise development as an issue. We are not attacking anyone personally. We may criticise the BJP's ideology but no personal attacks. It is a fight between the communal BJP and a secular Congress and nothing more than that.

We are seeking votes on the basis of our work. We are asking people to recognise our work and vote for us. We are telling them that we have kept our promises and so deserve to get the people's favour but BJP is seeking votes so that Yeddyurappa becomes the Chief Minister in 2018. Is that even an issue in the bypoll?

Do you think B S Yeddyurappa is power hungry?

His speeches in campaigns everywhere only highlight him becoming the Chief Minister. "If your Yeddyurappa should become the Chief Minister, vote for the BJP in this election and ensure the party wins," is what he says in all his addresses. What does that mean?

Does the Congress look at S M Krishna quitting as a loss? How do you plan to make up for it, if it is?

Krishna's move is neither our loss nor BJP's gain. I do not know what he feels about being in the BJP but it is definitely not a loss for us. The results will show what I mean.

S M Krishna in his first outing as a BJP man trashed the Congress and your government. What are your thoughts on it?

Let's assume that S M Krishna was right in saying that our government neither had the vision nor the foresight, but what happened to his government? He himself left Maddur and contested from Chamarajapet in Bengaluru. Maddur was his own constituency but why did he leave especially after being the Chief Minister for five years. Why did 30 ministers in his cabinet lose in elections? From 140 MLAs it was reduced to a mere 60. Was that a result of his vision? Is it because he projected his government as the numero uno in the country?

S M Krishna accuses you of being laid back. He says that yours is an 11 am to 7 PM government, unlike Narendra Modi who works round the clock.

One should recall what he has said in the past about Narendra Modi. The things he has spoken about Modi when he was in power. Why change stance now? S M Krishna being a senior politician says that there has never been a leader like Modi in India. Can Modi be compared with Nehru? One shouldn't talk this way just because he quit the party.

Would you say that Srinivas Prasad moving out is not a loss either?

The constituency speaks for itself. One should visit the constituency to see if there is really a loss. You will know what we have lost and what we have gained.

Congress is being criticised for importing a candidate from the JD(S) for Nanjangud. Was there none within the party after Srinivas Prasad left?

We never had a dearth of candidates. We had many candidates including Mahadevappa's son Sunil Bose. I advised him against his son contesting since he is already the district in-charge minister. I suggested that Sunil Bose contest in the general elections and not this bypoll. By that time Keshavamurthy had joined our party and the workers preferred that the ticket be given to him. Is the BJP any better? Have they fielded a candidate who comes from a RSS background? I do not want to comment much on that.

Why field a Geetha Mahadevprasad who has no prior political experience? Did the party agree with your decision?

It was my decision along with that of the party president's. Mahadevaprasad had won five consecutive times and had already completed 4 years as the minister this time around. With just another year remaining, we wanted to give his family members the opportunity. She is highly educated. She may not have prior political experience but is a doctorate holder. Her husband had been in politics for 30 years.

B S Yeddyurappa says that nervousness is pushing you to campaign vigorously.

Why has he been camping here since 22 days? Is it because he is very confident or has nerves of steel? I have been here only since 4 days but he has been here for 20 plus days. We were all in the assembly but he was here campaigning. Isn't that nervousness? They became desperate and that is why are making false complaints and allegations our party and leaders. They know that they are going to lose the elections.

Why is this bypoll so important? All of the cabinet is here just like all of BJP's leaders are here.

The Congress party is in power and the people know our performance, we have performed very well in four years and have fulfilled more than 90 per cent of the promises that were made to the ppl thru the manifesto. When we are in power how can we not take a bypoll seriously? We have taken it very seriously. BJP is a communal party. We should see that a communal party doesn't win.

Yeddyurappa claims that you have hijacked his welfare schemes. What do you have to say about it?

Who introduced the food security act? It was Manmohan Singh government and not Narendra Modi's government. It is true that we are being given rice at subsidised rates but aren't we doling it out for free? Did Yeddyurappa give it? We are giving 7 kgs of rice and 1 kg of dal free. Did Yeddyurappa do this? How can this be called their program? Aren't we giving Rs 4,000 crore subsidy? Did the union government ask us to give free rice grains to the poor? It is our decision. Why did the union government stop the supply of sugar to BPL card holders? Yeddyurappa never tells the truth. He is asking for loan waiver for farmers now but the same Yeddyurappa, when he was the Chief Minister had said that the union government had not given him a note printing machine to waive off loans. Yeddyurappa loses track of what he has said. He can't differentiate between truth and lies. There is none in the world who lies like the BJP.

What are the chances of a Congress and JD(S) tie up in the 2018 assembly polls?

Neither the Congress nor the JD(S) has spoken about a tie up for the 2018 elections. We will fight alone. There are no talks.

BJP is confident that it will get all the dalit as well as most backward classes votes. What do you have to say about it?

We believe in social justice. We have worked for the poor in the society cutting across caste lines. We have worked to make them economically independent and believe that the poor, farmers, backward classes, women will support us. Who is responsible for operation Kamala? BJP is the pioneer of corrupt electoral practices. What did Yeddyurappa do in the 8 bypolls that were held when he was the Chief Minister?

What would a win in both the constituencies mean to you?

It would mean that the government's work has been appreciated, accepted and blessed by the people. Wouldn't it also mean that the people have accepted the leadership?

Will you lead the Congress in the 2018? Will you contest the poll?

As far as contesting in the poll is concerned, the high command will decide but I will definitely lead the campaign for the Congress in the 2018 assembly polls. I had said that 2013 would be my last election but a communal party is growing. Because a communal party is growing, I have to contest again and have to lead the election campaign.

What about Yathindra Siddaramaiah contesting in the polls?

I am not sure about that, it is again the high command's decision. Workers in our constituency want him to contest the polls but ultimately when elections draw closer, it will all depend on what the high command says and what the workers want. I am not opposed to Yathindra contesting if the people want him to but I will not push him to contest. I will not impose my opinions on people or my son. If the people want him and high command decides to give a ticket to him then it is okay. The constituency will be decided later.

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