Siddaramaiah’s tenure as CM is currently on lease, claims H D Kumaraswamy

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s tenure at the helm was ‘on lease’ and the CM was bargaining with the Congress high command for an extension, claimed Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries H D Kumaraswamy in Bengaluru on Saturday.

“Siddaramaiah, who is celebrating having broken D Devaraj Urs’ record
as the longest-serving CM of Karnataka, is on lease. Urs challenged even former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, but Siddaramaiah is bargaining with the high command for time,” said Kumaraswamy.

Queried about reports of Hindustan Machine Tools’ (HMT) closure, Kumaraswamy said, “It has not been shut; production of watches is still under way, albeit at a smaller scale. HMT’s disinvestment had been announced as early as 2016. I have been discussing the possibility of reviving HMT by adopting new technologies with PM Narendra Modi.”