Bengaluru: Newly sworn-in Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy with Karnataka former chief minister & Congress leader Siddaramaiah during the swearing-in ceremony of JD(S)-Congress coalition government in Bengaluru (PTI Photo)
The fissures within JD(S)-Congress coalition government in Karnataka appears to have widened as a video showing former chief minister Siddaramaiah purportedly expressing doubts about the longevity of the newly-formed government has surfaced.
In the video telecast by the regional TV channels on Tuesday, Siddaramaiah can be apparently heard speaking sceptically about the government completing its five years term. When asked about whether the present dispensation could complete five years, he purportedly said: “five years…difficult…let’s see what will happen after the parliament election (in 2019).”
“They (government) will remain until parliament elections are over, after that, what all developments will happen (we will have to see),” he added.
Siddaramaiah, who is also the Chairman of the Congress-JD(S) coordination committee, is currently undergoing treatment at a nature therapy hospital in Dharmasthala and the video had been reportedly recorded there.
The latest remarks came two days after a video clip purportedly showing the former CM expressing his displeasure to a few Congress MLAs over the presentation of a fresh budget had emerged.
However, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara asserted that the government would complete five years term. “I have not seen it (video), when we reached an understanding (to form government); we had agreed to run the government for five years. We will run the government for five years,” Parmeshwara told reporters.
On Monday, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had sharply reacted to Siddaramaiah’s remarks and said that an attempt was being made to create confusion about presentation of the full-fledged budget. On June 15, Kumaraswamy had himself said that no one can “touch” him at least till the 2019 Lok Sabha polls are over.
Differences have cropped up between the Congress and JDS on a string of issues, including presentation of the budget, ever since both parties forged a post-poll alliance to form the government.
While CM Kumaraswamy wants to present a full-fledged budget, Siddaramaiah, who had held the Finance portfolio in the previous government, recently said there was no need for a fresh budget and insisted that a supplementary budget would do.
Kumaraswamy, who holds the finance portfolio now, is scheduled to present his coalition government’s first budget on July 5.
With PTI inputs