Karnataka Congress government spent public money in five states' recent polls, alleges Deve Gowda

H D Deve Gowda lashes out at Karnataka Congress government. File Photo

Janata Dal (Secular) patriarch H D Deve Gowda Friday accused the Karnataka Congress government of spending the state's "public money" to aid the party in the recent assembly elections in five states, as he targeted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

The former prime minister lashed out at Siddaramaiah, who heads the Karnataka Congress government, alleging that he could not prevent the flow of money from the state, especially Bengaluru, to the Congress party in the five states to fight elections.

JD(S) joined the BJP-led NDA in September last year after former chief minister and Deve Gowda's son H D Kumaraswamy met with Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national President J P Nadda in New Delhi.

Both parties have said they would fight the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections together in Karnataka.

In the elections to the 224-member Karnataka assembly in May last year, the JD(S) put up a poor show, winning only 19 seats. The Congress bagged 135 and the BJP 66.

Referring to Shivakumar, who is also President of Karnataka Congress Committee president, Deve Gowda said, "It is now out in the open where all he went and how much money he transported."

Taking a dig at Siddaramaiah over his statement of providing a clean government, he sought to know why he was not able stop "the illegalities" happening in Bengaluru.

"If you please do not take it otherwise, during the five state elections, how much money was taken from here? Whose wealth is this? It's public money of Karnataka," the JD(S) patriarch said at a press conference.

He said, "Our deputy chief minister (Shivakumar) and his insolence...where all he went, how much money he transported, how much money the ECI (Election Commission of India) seized, is now out in the open. From where did this money go? From here in Bengaluru.

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"All the Bengaluru agencies (like Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and Bangalore Development Authority) and irrigation portfolio are in his (DCM's) hand. It fills me with shame to see what is going on here," Gowda said.

He sought to know why Siddaramaiah was not able to stop it (corruption).

"I don't know whether Siddaramaiah has the strength to stop it. He gives lecture to the country that no one can point a finger at his administration and says that he stands by the poor, minorities and AHINDA (a Kannada acronym that stands for 'Alpasankhyataru' (minorities), 'Hindulidavaru' (Backward Classes) and 'Dalitaru' (Dalits) firmly. Yet, it (money) is flowing! Why is he not able to stop (the illegalities)?", Gowda asked. (With inputs from PTI)