Bengaluru: In a blistering attack on state Chief Minister Siddaramaiah — that could sully his socialistic and uncompromising secular credentials in politics — former minister and newfound foe, V. Srinivas Prasad who is on the verge of joining the BJP, claimed that soon after his expulsion from the JD(S), Mr Siddaramaiah had met L.K. Advani and "pleaded with the latter to back him for the CM post."
Mr Prasad's tell-all interview follows a spectacular falling out with the CM after he was axed from the cabinet in June this year.
Mr Prasad further alleged that in 2009, "Mr Siddaramaiah had held talks with BJP president B.S. Yeddyurappa to field candidates in the 2009 parliament polls under the AHINDA banner."
He said that "in 2005, when the JD (S) expelled Mr Siddaramaiah and brought in M.P. Prakash as deputy to then Chief Minister Dharam Singh, Mr Siddaramaiah through a Karnataka BJP leader had met Mr Advani in New Delhi." He said: "Mr Siddaramaiah had claimed that he had the support of two-thirds of the total 58 JD (S) MLAs besides the backing of many Congress MLAs who were eager to come with him.”
