Mysuru: Former MP and JD(S) leader Adagooru H. Vishwanath lashed out at Chief Minister Siddharamaiah and questioned, “Who is Siddharamaiah to issue orders to Kuruba community voters not to support me? He is not a genuine Kuruba leader and he has no right to comment on a community as he has done nothing worthwhile though he enjoyed the spoils of power due to Kuruba votes.”

Addressing a press conference at a private hotel here yesterday, he said that Siddharamaiah has power, money and a lot of ego. “But he does not have the common sense,” he charged. “I am not an orphan and the CM must realise that I have a huge support base as I have done good work when I was a Minister,” he claimed.

Mincing no words, Vishwanath said that in a meeting with voters of Hunsur Assembly constituency recently, the CM had made an open statement asking the Kuruba community people not to support me (Vishwanath).

“Is Siddharamaiah dictating terms to the Kuruba community? He has defamed the democratic system,” Vishwanath said. “Let him ask the people not to vote for a particular party but he should not target any person and caste. Is he (Siddharamaiah) the ‘Lord’ of Kuruba community? No one should pass comments based on caste,” Vishwanath added.

“The CM thinks that the elections are fought on caste and thus, he has asked Kuruba community people not to support me. I am neither a social nor an economical orphan.” Vishwanath said he would work towards bringing the JD(S) back to power in the State next year.

The senior leader had fallen out with Siddharamaiah in recent months. Vishwanath said he was one of the people who brought Siddharamaiah into the Congress from JD(S) — a claim the Chief Minister denies.

“The CM is trying to divide the Kuruba, Lingayat and Dalit communities. He is trying to sideline Dalit leader and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President Dr. G. Parameshwara by stating that the Congress party will face the election under the leadership of Siddharamaiah himself. Siddharamaiah is a migrant politician and he does not know the ideologies of the Congress party,” Vishwanath said.

The former MP questioned: “I have contributed hugely to the development of Kuruba Mutts and have strived for the welfare of the community people. What has Siddharamaiah done?”

Describing Siddharamaiah as a kickback Chief Minister, Vishwanath said, “He (Siddharamaiah) gives funds and gets kickbacks in return. He is dreaming of continuing as CM by offering money to the Congress high command.”  

“The CM has been publicly announcing that he would contest from Chamundeshwari constituency. This is just to scare the present Chamundeshwari MLA G.T. Devegowda. I am sure that Siddharamaiah will not even contest the upcoming 2018 elections,” he said, mocking at Siddharamaiah.

“A series of schemes such as Anna Bhagya, Ksheera Bhagya and others were proposed by me and Health and Family Welfare Minister K.R. Ramesh Kumar. Siddharamaiah has just implemented them and has claimed credit,” he said.

“As MLA, MP and Minister, I have implemented several pro-people works. What is the achievement of Siddharamaiah? In Karnataka, Siddharamaiah has become the Congress high command and unfortunately, the Congress leaders in New Delhi are too powerless to take action against Siddharamaiah,” he observed.