No state leaders helped me to join Congress, says Siddaramaiah

 “Nobody from state Congress helped me to join the party. I only took initiative and joined with the help from central leadership,” said chief minister Siddaramaiah on Friday, March 19.

He was speaking during an interaction with media persons jointly organized by Bengaluru Press Club and federation of journalists.

“I knew Ahmed Patel since I was the deputy chief minister. I had been in touch with him. After I left JD(S), I founded ABPJD party which did not fare well in Zilla Panchayat elections.

“From there I went to Mumbai and met S M Krishna and asked for his cooperation to join Congress. Either H Vishwanath or any Congress leader from state did not help me to join Congress as claimed by some people,” he added.

“I am happy that out of 165 promises made, we have implemented 155. Opposition calls us as Ahinda government. I am really pro-poor, but I am against upper caste people.” he concluded.

He declined to comment on the issue of H Vishwanath leaving Congress and joining JD(S). Vishwanath had claimed several times in the recent past that he helped Siddaramaiah to join Congress.