Control your MLAs, or I will quit: Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy warns Congress

Rift in Congress-JD(S) alliance in Karnataka is getting wider as Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy today threatened to step down if Congress MLAs continue to attack him. Reacting on a yesterday event, when some MLAs of Siddaramiah camp hailed him as their CM, agitated Kumaraswamy said that they are crossing the line and if it will continue like this, he will step down for the post of Chief Minister.

When asked about the 'Congress MLAs' statement that Siddaramaiah is their leader', Kumaraswamy said: "Congress MLAs say Siddaramaiah is their leader. Congress leaders have to watch all that issues, I'm not the concerned person for it. If they want to continue with it, I am ready to step down."

"They are crossing the line. Congress must control their MLAs," he said.



This comes after Siddaramaiah supporters on Sunday criticised the Kumaraswamy-led government by saying that no development work has taken place even after seven months have passed since the new government has been formed.

Attacking the Kumaraswamy government during an event yesterday, Congress MLA ST Somashekhar said: "It is seven months since the coalition government came to power, but development work has not yet taken off. Had Siddaramaiah got another five-year term, we would have seen real development."

Siddaramaiah's supporters hailed him with Congress minister C Puttaranga Shetty going to the extent of saying that he still considers his leader the CM.

Endorsing the comments, Siddaramaiah said he would have completed the development work if he had got another term as chief minister.

However, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara downplayed the issue. Reacting to the issue, he said there was nothing wrong with the concerned MLAs expressing their opinions, but the party considers Kumaraswamy as the best Chief Minister.

"Siddaramaiah has been the best Chief Minister. He is our Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader. For the MLA, he (Siddaramaiah) is the Chief Minister. He has expressed his opinion. What is wrong in that? We are all happy with him (Kumaraswamy)," Parameshwara said.

(Inputs from ANI)