Former PM HD Deve Gowda accuses Congress government in Karnataka of spending public money in 5 states’ recent polls

Both parties have said they would fight the upcoming 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.

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Questions chief minister

Referring to Shivakumar, who is also the president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), 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 to 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.

“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 lectures 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.

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