Countdown has begun for Siddu's exit: DVS

Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council D V Sadananda Gowda on Monday said indications are rife in the ruling Congress that the countdown for the exit of Siddaramaiah from the chief minister’s post had begun.

 “The indications are clear. Siddaramaiah is being isolated by old timers in the Congress. Only five to six of his old Janata parivar friends are with him. Several ministers are defying the chief minister and making contradictory statements on policy issues,” Gowda told reporters here.

He said senior Congress leaders including Ramesh Kumar, D K Shivakumar and Motamma had openly spoken against Siddaramaiah’s style of functioning. “It is just one month since Siddaramaiah took over as chief minister and, there is already so much backlash against him. It is time that Siddaramaiah starts introspecting,” the former chief minister said.

The BJP leader claimed to have inside information provided by a senior Congressman that Siddaramaiah was recently snubbed by the Congress president Sonia Gandhi for taking “unilateral decisions” such as announcing rice for Re 1 per kg scheme even before the ministry formation.

He said it was “childish” on the part of the present dispensation to review the pro-people decisions taken by the BJP government without assigning any reasons, particularly formation of new taluks.