Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has appeared to express doubts on whether the Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress government will be able to complete its five-year term.
In a video telecast on TV9 Kannada, Siddaramaiah is heard speaking sceptically about the coalition government. When an unidentified person asks him if the government will complete its full term, Siddaramaiah is heard saying, “Five years...difficult...let’s see what will happen after the parliament election [in 2019].”
He purportedly said the government will remain until the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and will have to “see what happens after that”.
The video was shot in Dharmasthala where Siddaramaiah is undergoing treatment at a naturopathy hospital. Siddaramaiah’s remarks come just two days after another video clip showed him expressing his displeasure to a few Congress MLAs over the presentation of a new budget, adding to the fissures in the coalition government, reported the Hindustan Times.
On June 16, Siddaramaiah, who is also the chairman of the Congress-JD(S) coordination committee, had said Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy must present a supplementary budget instead of a new budget. “When we presented the budget in the previous government, it was a full-fledged budget with a vote on account till July 30,” he said, according to The Times of India. “Now, where is the need for a fresh budget?”
Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader G Parameshwara, meanwhile, said that the coalition government would last its course, but acknowledged that no one could predict the future in politics, reported Deccan Chronicle.
“Both the Congress and JD(S) have arrived at an understanding to run this government for five years and if you ask the same question over and over again my answer will remain the same,” he told reporters Chitradurga in response to Siddaramaiah’s comments. “However, one cannot say what happens when in politics.”
Kumaraswamy was sworn in as the chief minister on May 23 while Congress leader G Parameshwara took oath as his deputy. Kumaraswamy’s Janata Dal (Secular), which won 37 out of the 222 Assembly seats that went to the polls on May 12, has partnered with the Congress, which has 78 seats, to form the government.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!