RS polls: Siddaramaiah urges JD-S MLAs to support Cong nominee

Bengaluru, June 9

Karnataka Opposition leader Siddaramaiah has written a letter to the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) MLAs, seeking their votes for the Congress candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections.

"Befitting answer has to be given to the ruling BJP. Hence, JD-S legislators must support the second candidate of the Congress, Mansoor Ali Khan," he said.

"The Congress supported JD-S which had 37 MLAs and made H.D. Kumaraswamy the Chief Minister. JD-S has announced its candidate (Kupendra Reddy) a day after the Congress declared its second candidate, even as the party does not have required numbers to win the Rajya Sabha seat. This has pained us," Siddaramaiah stated.

The former Karnataka Chief Minister said the BJP is spoiling the diversity and peace, and has insulted the respected personalities on the pretext of textbook revision.

"You (JD-S MLAs) have to utilise the opportunity of Rajya Sabha elections and answer the communal BJP in a befitting manner by supporting Congress," he said.

The senior Congress leader further said the country is treading on a dangerous path. "There is an attack on social justice, fraternity, secular values, and constitutional objectives. By these developments, the democracy in the country is at stake," he wrote in the letter.

"When the opportunity came for H.D. Deve Gowda to become the Prime Minister, the Congress had supported his candidature," he said.

"We hoped the JD-S would support the Congress candidate and put up the second candidate. However, the JD-S announced its candidate the next day and shocked us. Being secular parties, JD-S and Congress should ensure the victory of Mansoor Ali Khan, the second candidate fielded by Congress party," he said.

However, former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy of JD-S has stated that it is not possible to support the Congress candidate at this juncture.

"There is no discussion on the issue so far," he said.

Rajya Sabha elections are scheduled to be held on June 10.

Union Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman, and former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh are contesting the polls.