Of HDK, Siddaramaiah, parrots and vultures

BENGALURU: Another round of barbs over the fall of the JD(S)- Congress coalition government were traded between old foes, coalition colleagues and former chief ministers Siddaramaiah and HD Kumaraswamy on Tuesday, just two days after the parties suggested they would go it alone in next month’s bypolls.
Referring to a popular Kannada song (Neene Sakida Gini) in which a domesticated parrot goes on to betray and inflict pain on its owner, Siddaramaiah chided Kumaraswamy in a tweet that said: “Yes Mr H D Kumaraswamy, it is true that the parrots which I believed in are haunted.It is my whole fault that even after four decades of political companionship; we made a coalition with vultures. Will it not inflict pain? What is bigger lesson than experience?”
The former CM was reacting to Kumaraswamy’s comments blaming his leadership for the defeat of his father HD Deve Gowda in Tumakuru, son Nikhil Kumaraswamy in Mandya and for the defeat of Congress’ own candidate KH Muniyappa in Kolar in the Lok Sabha elections.
Kumaraswamy, speaking to reporters in Channapatna, squarely blamed Siddaramaiah for the collapse of the coalition government. He claimed he wasn’t a parrot nurtured by Siddaramaiah, but by the people of Ramanagara (his home district). “There are several like him [Siddaramaiah] who prospered under HD Deve Gowda. Many senior Congress leaders including Siddaramaiah betrayed Deve Gowda who nurtured them politically. I became CM due to blessings from the Congress high command and not Siddaramaiah.”
Siddaramaiah hit back saying Kumaraswamy is indulging in drama because he has no issues to speak about in the byelections. “Kumaraswamy does not speak sense,” Siddaramaiah said in Hubballi. “GT Devegowda who is a JD(S) MLA and was minister in his cabinet has recently said that Kumaraswamy had asked him to get votes transferred to BJP candidates in Mysuru and Chamarajanagra (during Lok Sabha polls).”
Only weeks ago, JD(S) patriarch Gowda and Siddaramaiah had exchanged barbs, holding each other responsible for the collapse of the coalition government.