Adjustment politics charge: K'taka CM says 'never spoke to BJP leaders'

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said that he has not spoken to the opposition leaders referring to the 'adjustment politics' charge made against him by the BJP.

Talking to reporters in Bengaluru about the charges made by Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha that adjustment politics is practiced in the state by CM Siddaramaiah and top BJP leaders, Siddaramaiah said that, "Pratap Simha has no political maturity."

"Pratap Simha talks according to his whims and fancies. He claims that he had built Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway. Is he MP for the expressway? I have never spoken to the opposition leaders in my political career. I never visit their homes when they are in power. But, when we face each other, I speak to them for courtesy," Siddaramaiah stated. But, I never speak anything related to politics, he added.

Siddaramaiah demanded that Pratap Simha should say who is pursuing adjustment politics. He should know who is into it. If he wants, let him submit a complaint to the Governor. "Conducting inquiry is left to our discretion. We know the appropriate time to conduct probe and also know to which agency the investigation should be handed over to," he stated.

Talking about Karnataka Congress in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala attending the meeting of BBMP officers, Siddaramaiah said, it was not the official meeting. The meeting was called regarding Bengaluru city and he mentioned about civic polls as a passing remark.

The debate on adjustment politics between the Congress government and top leaders of BJP cropped up again in Karnataka with Mysuru-Kodagu BJP MP Pratap Simha directly stating that senior leaders of his party have joined hands with the ruling Congress government. With the development, the internal strife within BJP has worsened.

Pratap Simha had stated that Siddaramaiah, prominent leaders of BJP do not speak against you. Many of them might have colluded with your government. But, BJP workers won't compromise with you and they will never do it. In elections, the leaders of BJP might have been defeated, but party workers are not.

He further questioned that why did the Congress leaders not lodge complaints against the BJP government regarding the 40 per cent commission scam? The Congress leaders created hue and cry on the letter of Kempanna (President of Contractorsa� Association in Karnataka who wrote a letter on commission scam to PM Modi).

When Basavaraja Bommai was the CM there were statements on probing de-notification and redo charges, Kempanna report against then opposition leader Siddaramaiah was also discussed. But, our BJP leaders were just issuing statements and did not do anything concrete in this regard, Pratap Simha had stated.

Even Siddaramaiah often spoke about Bitcoin scam, PSI scam against BJP. But, now he has gone completely silent over them. If there is no adjustment with BJP leaders, these allegations must be probed. It is like one criticizing the other at each other's convenience. Is your agreement mutual back scratching?, Pratap Simha questioned.

National General Secretary C. T. Ravi who faced defeat against his right-hand man H.D. Thammaiah, pitted against him as Congress candidate in Chikkamagalur constituency had earlier stated that there is adjustment politics within BJP and the party was defeated for the same reason in the state during the assembly polls.