Mahadayi: Cong, JD(S) accuse BJP of taking political mileage

The Congress and the JD(S) on Wednesday accused the BJP of trying to take political mileage out of the contentious Mahadayi river water dispute ahead of the Assembly elections.

"The BJP leaders are trying to take political mileage by saying that they will find a reasonable solution to the knotty Mahadayi issue," Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told reporters at Muddebihal in  Vijayapura district on seeking his reaction to BJP leaders holding talks with Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in Delhi over the inter-state water dispute.

JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy said the BJP had reealised the gravity of the issue at least now, just three months before the elections. "Despite scores of farmers coming to the streets and protesting, the party leaders failed to impress upon their Central leaders to intervene and resolve the issue. With the BJP's Hubballi rally nearing, the party has now realised that it will be held accountable if it does not address the Mahadayi issue," he said.

However, both the leaders said they will welcome if the BJP succeeds in resolving the issue.

Siddaramaiah said the state government had been making consistent efforts to find a reasonable solution to the problem. "I had led an all-party delegation to the prime minister and requested him to mediate on the issue," he said.

"The BJP leaders, who did not open their mouths during the meeting with the prime minister and who have not said a word about the issue till now, have suddenly woken up and are claiming that they will solve the problem at the earliest," he said. The chief minister accused the BJP leaders of being politically motivated in this regard.