Didn’t say CM Siddaramaiah should be replaced, clarifies Veerappa Moily
Bengaluru: Asserting that his remarks have been twisted, Congress leader M. Veerappa Moily on Tuesday clarified that he had not said anything about replacing Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Former Union Minister Moily’s clarification comes after his remark “No one can stop Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar from becoming the Chief Minister” created a huge controversy.
Speaking to the media, former Chief Minister Moily said: “No one should create confusion. It is wrong to make comments either in favour of CM Siddaramaiah or Dy CM Shivakumar.”
Moily said Shivakumar has done good work and deserves to become the CM but “I have not said anything about replacing Siddaramaiah”.
“Changing the CM without any discussion and consultation is also wrong. I am committed to the democratic process. No one in the state as well as in Delhi has my experience. I am not part of the power-sharing discussion between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar and won’t comment on it,” he said.
He said that if Siddaramaiah has to be changed, the AICC leaders will have to take the opinion of the Congress party workers and MLAs.
“In my case also, it happened. The central leaders had a different choice. In 1980, though the MLAs were on my side, the central leadership chose a different candidate for the post,” he recalled.
However, Moily became Chief Minister in 1992 when 90 per cent of MLAs suggested his name for the post.
During a party function in Udupi last week, Moily announced that no one can stop Shivakumar from becoming the Chief Minister.
“I was the one who gave Shivakumar the party ticket to contest the MLA election for the first time. He has groomed himself into a successful political leader, and it is a matter of great joy,” Moily said.