Ex-Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah blamed HD Kumaraswamy for fall of Congress-JDS government

Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Sunday came down heavily on Janata Dal Secular leader HD Kumaraswamy for treating him as an "enemy". He blamed him for the slump of Congress-JDS coalition government in the state.

Ex-Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah blamed HD Kumaraswamy for the fall of Congress-JDS coalition government

"HD Kumaraswamy never treated me as a friend or confidant, but instead considered me as an enemy and that led to all the problems," the leader told the media persons.

The war of words between the two leaders has been going on after the coalition government lost the vote of confidence in the Assembly.

Siddaramaiah had earlier held former Prime Minister Deve Gowda, father of former HD Kumaraswamy, responsible for the collapse of the government.

Mr Gowda recently said that Congress party's high command decided to make his son HD Kumaraswamy the chief minister without consulting its leader Siddaramaiah.

"I have clearly said that without taking Mr Siddaramaiah, who was Chief Minister for five years, into confidence Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi all of a sudden came and said Mr Kumaraswamy is the next Chief Minister, it was their wrong decision," Mr Gowda told mediapersons recently.

The coalition government collapsed on July 22 after the confidence motion moved Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy was defeated in the assembly, bringing to an end his 14-month long turbulent tenure marked by dissidence within the Congress.

The one-year-old coalition government of the Congress and JDS collapsed on July 24, paving the way for the BJP's return to power in the state. The coalition failed the floor test in the assembly, cobbling up only 99 votes in comparison to the 105 votes of the BJP.

Following the collapse of the government, BJP under the leadership of BS Yediyurappa has assumed power on July 26 and proved its majority in the assembly two days later.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)