Cong slams BJP, JD(S) over 'Cauvery coalition'

Maqsood Maniyar | NT

Bengaluru: Karnataka Congress spokespersons C Laxman and Ramesh Babu on Friday slammed the Opposition BJP and JD(S) over their “politics” on the Cauvery river water sharing issue and their plans to seal a pre-poll alliance for the Lok Sabha elections.

The spokespersons said that the State government was obligated to honour the orders of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) and the Supreme Court, adding that they had to release water in the past.

They said that they had to stop the water recently because they couldn’t spare more, keeping in view the state’s drinking and farming needs.

Laxman pointed out that BJP bigwig Basavaraj Bommai and JD(S) legislature party leader HD Kumaraswamy had been absent for the all-party meeting on the Cauvery issue that was held on Wednesday at Vidhana Soudha.

“BJP should have stood for Karnataka in such a difficult situation. Kumaraswamy, Bommai and Yediyurappa didn’t attend the emergency meeting. When we don’t hold a meeting, they say call one. When we call an emergency meeting, they say they couldn’t attend it. Make your stand clear,” he said, adding that Kumaraswamy had “misled” people on the issue.

He said that a probable BJP and JD(S) alliance would force the hand of Muslim and Dalit voters, who would cast their ballot for the Congress in next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

“BJP’s failures over 10 years and our guarantee schemes will take over. Congress will win 23 (Lok Sabha) seats (in Karnataka),” Laxman said.

Ramesh Babu also alleged that former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa was being sidelined in the party.

BSY sidelined, says Cong

“Yediyurappa has been given a nominal position in the BJP’s central committee and his views are being sidelined without informing him about the developments of Karnataka’s politics. However, he is silent to protect the (political) future of his children (in the party),” he said.