Sriramulu, who had caused embarrassment to the party in the past, had rubbed the JD(S) on the wrong side by making  attempt to murder allegation  against Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, after the trouble during campaigning to Bellary City Council on September 25.  Sriramulu and suspended BJP MLC Janardhana Reddy had alleged that their rivals had opened fire in a bid to kill them. Sriramulu had lodged a complaint with the police alleging that the CM, his political secretary and Kurugod JD (S) MLA Suryanarayana Reddy had conspired to kill him and Reddy. But the police refused to register the complaint on technical grounds.  The police had denied firing incident. When the police were trying to bring the situation under control, Sriramulu, in full public gaze, fell at the feet of a DySP and pleaded him not to ‘thrash’ his party men. The CM had taken serious exception to Sriramulu’s behaviour. He cautioned the BJP that it would be difficult to continue the coalition set up if the the party failed to control its minister.

JD(S) National President H D Deve Gowda supported his CM son. He said the situation was not conducive to hold talks with the BJP leaders. He said, “This is the first time in the history that a cabinet minister has levelled grave charges against the chief minister... This is not the first time he has been humiliated... There is a limit for everybody’s patience”.

Sriramulu had tendered his resignation to Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on April 2, alleging that the chief minister’s political secretary Suryanarayana Reddy was involved in the murder of his confidant Syed Mujeeb. However, he later withdrew his resignation two days later. When he was Bellary district in-charge minister, he had threatened to resign alleging that Home Minister M P Prakash was interfering in district matters.  On another occasion he made a move to resign alleging that Mr Prakash was trying to protect son M P Ravi after an attack on mine owner’s property.