Did not quit JD(S), was expelled by Deve Gowda: Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Attacked time and again over shifting loyalty from JD(S) to Congress, former chief Minister Siddaramaiah Saturday clarified that he was expelled from that party by the former prime minister and its supremo H D Deve Gowda.

"They (BJP) ask why Siddaramaiah quit JD(S) and joined Congress. I did not quit JD(S).. I was expelled. You must know the truth.. I was expelled from the JD(S) by Mr Deve Gowda for my AHINDA activities. Now you know, I believe," Siddaramaiah told reporters at Kalaburagi.

AHINDA in Kannada stands for minorities, backward castes and Dalits.

The senior Congress leader was canvassing for party candidate Subhash Rathod, contesting the bypoll from Chincholi assembly constituency.

The Chincholi seat fell vacant after disgruntled Congress MLA Umesh Jadhav resigned from the assembly to join the Bharatiya Janata Party and contested the Lok Sabha election from Gulbarga where he had a direct fight with Congress stalwart Mallikarjun Kharge.

The BJP gave the ticket to Jadhav's son Avinash Jadhav to contest from Chincholi Assembly constituency, where the election is due on May 19.

While addressing a public meeting two days ago Siddaramaiah flayed Jadhav, saying a "traitor" alone would ditch the party, which is like a mother.

In retaliation, BJP MLA and former deputy chief minister R Ashok had sought to know why Siddaramaiah quit the JD(S) and joined the Congress.

To this, Siddaramaiah said Ashok knew nothing as there were lots of dissimilarities between Umesh Jadhav quitting the Congress and joining the BJP and him leaving the JD(S) and joining the grand old party. The comparison was "improper," he added.