Janata Dal (S) leader and Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy has urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to break his silence over the dispute over naming a stretch of the KRS highway in Mysuru after him.
Speaking to reporters here on Saturday, Kumaraswamy said the Chief Minister was neither in favor of nor opposed to the proposal to name the road after him, but was simply maintaining a strategic silence on the issue.
If Mr. Siddaramaiah wanted something to be named after him, he should consider Kesare village, which was in national news recently, the Union Minister sarcastically said, referring to the controversy over alleged irregularities in the allocation of Authority sites. Mysuru Urban Development (MUDA) to the Chief. The minister’s wife instead of his land in Kesare village that was acquired to develop a layout.
Stating that it was the duty of a people’s representative to serve the people, Mr. Kumaraswamy questioned Mr. Siddaramaiah’s contribution to the people of Mysuru despite enjoying power as Deputy Chief Minister, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly and Chief Minister .
The JD(S) leader said he was ready for a debate on his and Mr Siddaramaiah’s contribution to Mysuru and recalled the significant financial allocations he had made to Mysuru during his tenure as Chief Minister in 2006-07.
He recalled the houses built under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission and other stormwater drainage projects.
Stating that he could provide a list of his contributions to Mysuru during his 18-month tenure as Chief Minister in 2006-07, Mr. Kumaraswamy asked whether he should request that roads and areas be named after him.
He said the Chief Minister should have already made it clear that he did not want the road to be named after him. “What really matters is being in the hearts of the people,” Mr. Kumarswamy said.
Post for Nikhil
Responding to questions about media reports speculating about a move by the party to anoint his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy as state party president, Mr. Kumaraswamy sought to make it clear that no debate had taken place on the issue so far .
“Have I said that Nikhil will be made the party president? It’s just speculation in the media. There have been no discussions of this type in the party,” he said, adding that the party’s priority was to hold organizational elections.
Published – January 4, 2025 07:52 pm IST
