Govt won't spare Kheny if panel favours action against him: CM

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the state government will take proper steps after studying the Legislature Committee report on BMIC and will not spare NICE promoter and MLA Ashok Kheny if the panel recommended action against him.

Defending the Congress decision to induct Kheny, Bidar South MLA, Siddaramaiah dismissed the talks that Kheny will influence the government decision on House Committee report which is pending before it. He also junked reports that the Congress high command had prevailed upon the state leadership to admit Kheny.

On criticism by a section of his party MLAs from Bengaluru over inducting Kheny, the chief minister said "he has joined the party without any pre-condition and we have not promised him the ticket in the next Assembly polls." Asked why the Congress was inducting "tainted leaders", Siddaramaiah said, "Kheny has not gone to jail."

Siddaramaiah said the party will not induct mining baron and former minister G Janardhana Reddy.

Dismissing the rumors that Reddy will join the Congress, he said that since the party had launched a massive campaign against Reddy earlier, he will not be admitted into the party.

However, he told reporters that the party had inducted other leaders from Ballari, such as   B Anand Singh and B Nagendra, after taking political situation into consideration. But, the party has not promised the ticket to these two leaders.

Siddaramaiah was here to hold discussions with Congress president Rahul Gandhi on selecting candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections from the state.

Stating that the Assembly polls will be a fight between 'communalism and secularism', Siddaramaiah said more and more Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah toured the state it would be more advantageous to the Congress.