Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah slammed the BJP government in Karnataka, stating that the government is unstable and mid-term polls would be held in December.
"If you look at the present situation, the chances of the Yediyurappa-led BJP government taking off look remote. Let us see how long the BJP government will survive, trusting the legislators from the Congress and JD(S) who had resigned over the greed for power. The differences in the BJP camp is increasing. The ministers have not started their work. There is no government in the state," he reportedly said.
Furthermore, when speaking to the media in Mysuru on Sunday, he alleged that the 17 Congress-JD(S) MLAs who were disqualified joined the BJP only because of “power.”
“I told party workers in Dakshina Kannada on Saturday that they should be ready for midterm elections in December as the present dispensation does not appear to have the ability to run the government,” the former CM reportedly added.
It was the absence of the vote of the 17 MLAs which led to the fall of the JD(S)-Congress coalition government in July, which worked in favour of the BJP.
Following this, former Assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar disqualified the 17 MLAs, which the MLAs have challenged in the Supreme Court. BS Yediyurappa then took oath as the Chief Minister on July 26 and proved his majority in the Assembly on July 29.
Siddaramaiah also responded to former Hoskote legislator MTB Nagaraj’s comments that Siddaramaiah joined the Congress after leaving the JD(S) and that Nagaraj wasn’t the one who betrayed the party.
"There is no need to take his remarks seriously. The same Nagaraj, who had told that I reside in his heart, is now criticising me. The leaders who were once my confidants have betrayed me. Several leaders to whom I had issued ticket and helped them become MLAs are now against me,” Siddaramaiah said.