Did release funds: Kumaraswamy hits back at Sudhakar

The JD(S) leader also tried to downplay his party losing six of the seven constituencies in Mandya district, one of their strongholds in the Vokkaliga heartland

NT Correspondent

Ramanagara: Former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy on Thursday hit back at outgoing Health Minister K Sudhakar for suggesting that he hadn’t released enough funds, including those meant for next CM Siddaramaiah’s former constituency Badami.

Sudhakar had tweeted: “During the JD(S)-Cong coalition gover nment in 2018, whenever MLAs went to the then Coordination Committe Chairman Shri Siddaramaiah with their concerns, he used to express his helplessness and say that he has no say in the government and his constituency/district works itself are stalled,” adding that Siddaramaiah meant to topple the coalition government after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

However, these claims were denied by another Operation Kamala deserter MTB Nagaraj. As many as 17 MLAs from Congress and JD(S) went over to the BJP and toppled the Kumaraswamyled government. Kumaraswamy himself has in the past claimed that Siddaramaiah played a role in toppling the coalition government.

“I do not accept the claim that Kumaraswamy didn’t give an opportunity for development to take place. As the chief minister, I released Rs 19,000 crores to 78 Congress MLAs. Siddaramaiah’s Badami constituency witnessed works pertaining to rejuvenation of lakes because of the programmes I initiated,” Kumaraswamy told mediapersons, adding that Congress’ “cunning politics” had sabotaged JD(S) on multiple occasions.

The JD(S) leader also tried to downplay his party losing six of the seven constituencies in Mandya district, one of their strongholds in the Vokkaliga heartland. Kumaraswamy also predicted political turmoil in the upcoming Karnataka government in two to three months’ time. He made these comments at a programme thanking the electors of Channapattna constituency for making him the MLA again.