From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jul 6: In a sharp rejoinder to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai for taunting him as a ‘lucky dip CM’, JD(S) legislature party leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy asked the former: “I am Lucky Dip CM, What about you?’’
Kumaraswamy said he is not ashamed to be termed as ‘lucky dip CM’ and mentioned that he himself has said it several times that he became Chief Minister accidentally.
He, however, asked Bommai whether he is a duly elected CM with a popular mandate and wanted him to remember that he is also a lucky dip CM without popular mandate.
The JD(S) leader reminded the BJP that it was because of him that the party could taste the power by being the 20:20 Chief Minister. “Ask your own leaders and the past CM. He will tell you the truth,’’ he said without mentioning BS Yediyurappa’s name.
“It is not an insult to be termed as Lucky Dip CM. Which is better? Is the label of ‘Operation Kamala CM’ better,’’ he said in a dig at the defections engineered by BJP to gain power through the backdoor.
He pointed out that BJP, which could not even dream of coming to power in the State, could taste power due to JD(S). “Ask your leader who was ready to ditch your party and wanted to join our party in 2006. If I had not prevented him from doing so, your party would be nowhere. If you have any doubts ask the leader,’’ he said referring to Yediyurappa again.
Referring to Bommai’s criticism of JD(S) as a family based party, he mentioned the names of BJP leaders and their family members in politics. He said BJP is steeped in family dominance and a lot can be said about them. He named the prominent persons in BJP and their family members:
1. BS Yediyurapa and sons
2. Ravi Subramanya-Tejasvi Surya
3. R Ashok- Ravi
4. V Somanna-Arun Somanna
5. Aravind Limbavali-Raghu
6. SR Vishwanath-Vani Vishwanath
7. Jagadish Shettar-Pradeep Shettar
8. Murugesh Nirani-Hanumanth Nirani
9. GS Basavaraju- Jyothi Ganesh
10. Jarakiholi family
11. Umesh Katti family
12. Shashikala Jolle family
13. Suresh Angadi family
14. CM Udasi family
15. B Sriramulu family
16. G Janardhana Reddy family