Congress govt in Karnataka spent public money in 5 states' recent polls, alleges Deve Gowda
Bengaluru, Jan 5: JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda on Friday accused the Congress government in Karnataka of spending the state's "public money" to aid the party in the recent assembly elections in five states, as he targeted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.
The former prime minister lashed out at Siddaramaiah alleging that he could not prevent the flow of money from Karnataka, especially Bengaluru, to the Congress party in the five states to fight elections.
JD(S) joined the BJP-led NDA in September last year after former chief minister and Deve Gowda's son H D Kumaraswamy met with Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national President J P Nadda in New Delhi.
Both parties have said they would fight the upcoming Lok Sabha elections together in Karnataka.
In the elections to the 224-member Karnataka assembly in May last year, the JD(S) put up a poor show, winning only 19 seats. The Congress bagged 135 and the BJP 66.
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Referring to Shivakumar, who is also President of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, Deve Gowda said, "It is now out in the open where all he went and how much money he transported."
Taking a dig at Siddaramaiah over his statement of providing a clean government, he sought to know why he was not able stop "the illegalities" happening in Bengaluru.
"If you please do not take it otherwise, during the five state elections, how much money was taken from here? Whose wealth is this? It's public money of Karnataka," the JD(S) patriarch said at a press conference.
He said, "Our deputy chief minister (Shivakumar) and his insolence...where all he went, how much money he transported, how much money the ECI (Election Commission of India) seized, is now out in the open. From where did this money go? From here in Bengaluru.
"All the Bengaluru agencies (like Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and Bangalore Development Authority) and irrigation portfolio are in his (DCM's) hand. It fills me with shame to see what is going on here," Gowda said.
He sought to know why Siddaramaiah was not able to stop it (corruption).
"I don't know whether Siddaramaiah has the strength to stop it. He gives lecture to the country that no one can point a finger at his administration and says that he stands by the poor, minorities and AHINDA (a Kannada acronym that stands for 'Alpasankhyataru' (minorities), 'Hindulidavaru' (Backward Classes) and 'Dalitaru' (Dalits) firmly. Yet, it (money) is flowing! Why is he not able to stop (the illegalities)?", Gowda asked.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
