Former CM H.D. Kumaraswamy calls on Ibrahim at the latter’s house

Bengaluru: Eyebrows are raised over the meeting of Congress MLC C.M. Ibrahim with former CM and senior JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy in Bengaluru yesterday.

This has generated a lot of heat and dust in the State political circle whether Ibrahim will go back to JD(S) with which he had long time association and had become Union Civil Aviation Minister when H.D. Deve Gowda was the Prime Minister.

However, Ibrahim fell out and joined Congress and had unsuccessfully contested from Bhadravathi Assembly Constituency. Meanwhile, Ibrahim was reportedly sidelined in Congress due to rise of other Minority leaders in the party. It was an open secret that the relationship between Ibrahim and Opposition Leader in the State Legislative Assembly Siddharamaiah has soured of late and the duo had maintained distance.

On Monday, Ramanagar MLA Kumaraswamy went to Ibrahim’s house and reportedly extended invitation to return to JD(S).  

Talking to media, Kumaraswamy said, “Ibrahim was with Deve Gowda before I entered politics. Although, he is in other political party now still he is like a senior member in our family. We are having a close relationship with him despite he quit our party in 2004.”

Launching a tirade indirectly against Siddharamaiah, the JD(S) leader said, “I came here to discuss politics. Ibrahim is not only our good friend but a senior member of our family. Everyone knows how he is treated by Congress and used in the party. Ultimately what did he get? I have appealed him to return home to become active politically. Siddharamaiah has claimed that JD(S) had bagged 58 seats while he was in the party. But he has forgotten the fact that there were other tall leaders like P.G.R. Sindhia, M.P. Prakash and C.M. Ibrahim. I will challenge Siddharamaiah to come out of Congress and contest and let him win four to five seats. We are not the slaves of Siddharamaiah. Did he have any courtesy or culture.”

Without disclosing details of the meeting, Ibrahim said he would announce his decision on Dec. 15.