Bengaluru:  “Former Chief Minister Ramakrishna Hegde was my political mentor and guide and not JD(S) Supremo H.D. Deve Gowda,” said Chief Minister  Siddharamaiah.

He was speaking after inaugurating the “Family Flats” constructed for Legislators near the Legislators’ House. “Raitha Sangha leader Prof. Nanjundaswamy taught me to protest social injustice. I was the first Chairman of ‘Kannada Kavalu Samiti,’ a watchdog committee which had the mandate to supervise the implementation of Kannada as official language formed during Ramakrishna Hegde’s Chief Ministership. Later I became Sericulture Minister,” he said.

“I entered the Legislature through my close association with Raitha Sangha and Kannada Movements. Till then I did not know who Deve Gowda is,” he said. “This being the case, how can Deve Gowda be my political mentor,” he questioned.

“I have been a self-made man and nobody helped me politically. Let me tell you whoever fights for the rights of the people will become a good political leader. I am the standing example for this,” he said.

Looking at Siddharamaiah’s comments, it is quite clear that he still holds the grouse that he had the opportunity to become Chief Minister but Gowda  scuttled his prospects.

On the reports that Congress has entered into a secret pact with JD(S), CM Siddharamaiah said, “I will never align with the JD(S).” Interestingly, it was Siddharamaiah who stood by Deve Gowda during the peak of his epic battle with Ramakrishna Hegde.

Today, there’s no love lost between Siddharamaiah and the former Prime Minister. Deve Gowda recently criticised Siddharamaiah for the out-of-turn transfer of Hassan Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri.