Siddaramaiah Asks JD(S) MLAs For Conscience Vote In Rajya Sabha Polls

Bengaluru: A day ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls for four seats from Karnataka, Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah on Thursday wrote an open letter to JD(S) MLAs requesting them to cast their "conscience vote" in favour of his party's second candidate Mansoor Ali Khan, stating that his win will be a victory of "secular ideology" followed by both parties. JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy hit out at Siddaramaiah for writing the letter to his party MLAs. "If he had discussed this with our party leaders before filing nominations such complications would not have arisen...he has written about support for minority candidates, then why didn't Congress make Mansoor Ali Khan its first candidate instead of Jairam Ramesh," Mr Kumaraswamy said. Interestingly, in the letter, Siddaramaiah has repeatedly referred to JD(S), the party from which he was expelled in 2005 and that he repeatedly called 'B-team of BJP' during previous assembly polls, as a "secular party". The appeal from the Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly came after Mr Kumaraswamy on Thursday strongly urged the Congress to support his party candidate -- D Kupendra Reddy -- to strengthen "secular forces" and tagged AICC General Secretary in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala in a tweet. "This Rajya Sabha poll that is before us, is a question of life and death for secularism. While there are Congress and JD(S) on one side ideologically, there is BJP which breathes communalism on the other side. The victory and defeat of our second candidate Mansoor Ali Khan is being watched with curiosity by not only minorities but by all those who believe in secularism," Siddaramaiah said. Further stating that Mr Khan's victory will not belong to any one particular party, he said, it will be the win of a "secular ideology" that both Congress and JD(S) believe in.

Bengaluru: A day ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls for four seats from Karnataka, Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah on Thursday wrote an open letter to JD(S) MLAs requesting them to cast their "conscience vote" in favour of his party's second candidate Mansoor Ali Khan, stating that his win will be a victory of "secular ideology" followed by both parties. JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy hit out at Siddaramaiah for writing the letter to his party MLAs. "If he had discussed this with our party leaders before filing nominations such complications would not have arisen...he has written about support for minority candidates, then why didn't Congress make Mansoor Ali Khan its first candidate instead of Jairam Ramesh," Mr Kumaraswamy said. Interestingly, in the letter, Siddaramaiah has repeatedly referred to JD(S), the party from which he was expelled in 2005 and that he repeatedly called 'B-team of BJP' during previous assembly polls, as a "secular party". The appeal from the Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly came after Mr Kumaraswamy on Thursday strongly urged the Congress to support his party candidate -- D Kupendra Reddy -- to strengthen "secular forces" and tagged AICC General Secretary in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala in a tweet. "This Rajya Sabha poll that is before us, is a question of life and death for secularism. While there are Congress and JD(S) on one side ideologically, there is BJP which breathes communalism on the other side. The victory and defeat of our second candidate Mansoor Ali Khan is being watched with curiosity by not only minorities but by all those who believe in secularism," Siddaramaiah said. Further stating that Mr Khan's victory will not belong to any one particular party, he said, it will be the win of a "secular ideology" that both Congress and JD(S) believe in.Bengaluru: A day ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls for four seats from Karnataka, Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah on Thursday wrote an open letter to JD(S) MLAs requesting them to cast their "conscience vote" in favour of his party's second candidate Mansoor Ali Khan, stating that his win will be a victory of "secular ideology" followed by both parties. JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy hit out at Siddaramaiah for writing the letter to his party MLAs. "If he had discussed this with our party leaders before filing nominations such complications would not have arisen...he has written about support for minority candidates, then why didn't Congress make Mansoor Ali Khan its first candidate instead of Jairam Ramesh," Mr Kumaraswamy said. Interestingly, in the letter, Siddaramaiah has repeatedly referred to JD(S), the party from which he was expelled in 2005 and that he repeatedly called 'B-team of BJP' during previous assembly polls, as a "secular party". The appeal from the Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly came after Mr Kumaraswamy on Thursday strongly urged the Congress to support his party candidate -- D Kupendra Reddy -- to strengthen "secular forces" and tagged AICC General Secretary in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala in a tweet. "This Rajya Sabha poll that is before us, is a question of life and death for secularism. While there are Congress and JD(S) on one side ideologically, there is BJP which breathes communalism on the other side. The victory and defeat of our second candidate Mansoor Ali Khan is being watched with curiosity by not only minorities but by all those who believe in secularism," Siddaramaiah said. Further stating that Mr Khan's victory will not belong to any one particular party, he said, it will be the win of a "secular ideology" that both Congress and JD(S) believe in.Bengaluru: A day ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls for four seats from Karnataka, Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah on Thursday wrote an open letter to JD(S) MLAs requesting them to cast their "conscience vote" in favour of his party's second candidate Mansoor Ali Khan, stating that his win will be a victory of "secular ideology" followed by both parties. JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy hit out at Siddaramaiah for writing the letter to his party MLAs. "If he had discussed this with our party leaders before filing nominations such complications would not have arisen...he has written about support for minority candidates, then why didn't Congress make Mansoor Ali Khan its first candidate instead of Jairam Ramesh," Mr Kumaraswamy said. Interestingly, in the letter, Siddaramaiah has repeatedly referred to JD(S), the party from which he was expelled in 2005 and that he repeatedly called 'B-team of BJP' during previous assembly polls, as a "secular party". The appeal from the Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly came after Mr Kumaraswamy on Thursday strongly urged the Congress to support his party candidate -- D Kupendra Reddy -- to strengthen "secular forces" and tagged AICC General Secretary in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala in a tweet. "This Rajya Sabha poll that is before us, is a question of life and death for secularism. While there are Congress and JD(S) on one side ideologically, there is BJP which breathes communalism on the other side. The victory and defeat of our second candidate Mansoor Ali Khan is being watched with curiosity by not only minorities but by all those who believe in secularism," Siddaramaiah said. Further stating that Mr Khan's victory will not belong to any one particular party, he said, it will be the win of a "secular ideology" that both Congress and JD(S) believe in.Bengaluru: A day ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls for four seats from Karnataka, Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah on Thursday wrote an open letter to JD(S) MLAs requesting them to cast their "conscience vote" in favour of his party's second candidate Mansoor Ali Khan, stating that his win will be a victory of "secular ideology" followed by both parties. JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy hit out at Siddaramaiah for writing the letter to his party MLAs. "If he had discussed this with our party leaders before filing nominations such complications would not have arisen...he has written about support for minority candidates, then why didn't Congress make Mansoor Ali Khan its first candidate instead of Jairam Ramesh," Mr Kumaraswamy said. Interestingly, in the letter, Siddaramaiah has repeatedly referred to JD(S), the party from which he was expelled in 2005 and that he repeatedly called 'B-team of BJP' during previous assembly polls, as a "secular party". The appeal from the Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly came after Mr Kumaraswamy on Thursday strongly urged the Congress to support his party candidate -- D Kupendra Reddy -- to strengthen "secular forces" and tagged AICC General Secretary in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala in a tweet. "This Rajya Sabha poll that is before us, is a question of life and death for secularism. While there are Congress and JD(S) on one side ideologically, there is BJP which breathes communalism on the other side. The victory and defeat of our second candidate Mansoor Ali Khan is being watched with curiosity by not only minorities but by all those who believe in secularism," Siddaramaiah said. Further stating that Mr Khan's victory will not belong to any one particular party, he said, it will be the win of a "secular ideology" that both Congress and JD(S) believe in.Bengaluru: A day ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls for four seats from Karnataka, Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah on Thursday wrote an open letter to JD(S) MLAs requesting them to cast their "conscience vote" in favour of his party's second candidate Mansoor Ali Khan, stating that his win will be a victory of "secular ideology" followed by both parties. JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy hit out at Siddaramaiah for writing the letter to his party MLAs. "If he had discussed this with our party leaders before filing nominations such complications would not have arisen...he has written about support for minority candidates, then why didn't Congress make Mansoor Ali Khan its first candidate instead of Jairam Ramesh," Mr Kumaraswamy said. Interestingly, in the letter, Siddaramaiah has repeatedly referred to JD(S), the party from which he was expelled in 2005 and that he repeatedly called 'B-team of BJP' during previous assembly polls, as a "secular party". The appeal from the Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly came after Mr Kumaraswamy on Thursday strongly urged the Congress to support his party candidate -- D Kupendra Reddy -- to strengthen "secular forces" and tagged AICC General Secretary in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala in a tweet. "This Rajya Sabha poll that is before us, is a question of life and death for secularism. While there are Congress and JD(S) on one side ideologically, there is BJP which breathes communalism on the other side. The victory and defeat of our second candidate Mansoor Ali Khan is being watched with curiosity by not only minorities but by all those who believe in secularism," Siddaramaiah said. Further stating that Mr Khan's victory will not belong to any one particular party, he said, it will be the win of a "secular ideology" that both Congress and JD(S) believe in.Bengaluru: A day ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls for four seats from Karnataka, Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah on Thursday wrote an open letter to JD(S) MLAs requesting them to cast their "conscience vote" in favour of his party's second candidate Mansoor Ali Khan, stating that his win will be a victory of "secular ideology" followed by both parties. JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy hit out at Siddaramaiah for writing the letter to his party MLAs. "If h