Siddaramaiah will resign as Karnataka CM after Dasara: BY Vijayendra

Mysuru/Channapatna, Oct 6 (PTI) Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra on Sunday claimed that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is facing charges in the MUDA site allotment case, may resign after Dasara.

JD(S) leader and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, meanwhile predicting the possibility of Assembly polls in the state, ahead of schedule, said that the last days of the Congress government are nearing, and one need not wait for the next election till 2028.

Siddarmaiah-led Congress government came to power in May last year, after a victory in Assembly polls.

"The situation in the state is such that CM Siddaramaiah is clarifying everyday before the media that he will continue as the chief minister. He is in such a bad situation.....some ministers are also claiming that Siddaramaiah will continue as CM, on the other hand, Siddaramaiah had sent Satish Jarkiholi (senior minister) to Delhi...." Vijayendra said.

Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, he said, all together it is certain that Siddaramaiah will resign from his post.

He said, "As soon as our padayatre (foot march from Bengaluru to Mysuru demanding CM resignation) concluded, the countdown had begun. I'm not making a political statement. At the time of Dasara, I'm saying that the chief minister would resign any time. Such a situation has come." Vijayendra said, according to his information, there is serious thinking among the Congress high command in Delhi regarding the CM's resignation.

He said, "...Siddaramaiah too is aware of it...this corrupt Congress government led by Siddaramaiah that has indulged in loot has become a curse to the state. The time has come for him to resign...He will resign after Dasara. We are hearing this everywhere." Siddaramaiah is facing the Lokayukta and ED probes into alleged irregularities in allotment of 14 sites to his wife Parvathi B M by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA).

Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi, brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy, Devaraju -- from whom Mallikarjuna Swamy purchased land and gifted it to Parvathi -- and others are named as other accused in the case by Lokayukta.

Addressing a JD(S) meeting in Channapatna, Kumaraswamy, who is the party's state president, said the last days of the Congress government are nearing.

He said, "you need not wait for the next election till 2028. Because of the Congress' own misdeeds, the election may come earlier...." "Let the next election happen whenever it has to. We (opposition) need not remove this government, you are seeing everyday how people (in Congress) are putting their towel and are waiting to become CM. They are openly making their claims. The pot of their sins has reached its brim, as they have done things they shouldn't have," Kumaraswamy said.

Pointing out about the CM recently speaking about conscience, he said, "If that conscience (of Congress leaders) is questioned, you cannot find such shameless people anywhere else." PTI