Bengaluru/Mysuru: Senior BJP leader and Karnataka Opposition Leader R. Ashoka launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday, blaming him for the rise of a drug mafia in his home district Mysuru. He also predicted that a change in leadership within the ruling Congress government is “certain by October.”
“The drug mafia operating in Mysuru is a direct contribution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah,” Ashoka alleged while speaking to reporters. “Despite being his hometown, a drug factory has managed to function under the government’s nose. Who owns the land? Who licensed this business worth hundreds of crores? The government’s silence is telling,” he claimed.
Drawing a contrast between Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge and Siddaramaiah, Ashoka accused the party of sidelining its senior-most leader. “Kharge has never been made CM despite his loyalty to Congress. In contrast, Siddaramaiah, who came from JD(S), was promoted to the top post,” he said. He added that Minister Rajanna’s recent comments about a “revolution” and Kharge’s demand for his due were not random — “he’s timed it perfectly, like hitting a ripe mango with a stone.”
Ashoka further alleged that internal Congress discussions across Karnataka are already underway regarding a possible change of Chief Minister by October. “MLAs themselves say a deal has been struck. D.K. Shivakumar is now at the mercy of divine intervention—only a god granting him a boon can save him,” he quipped.
Criticizing the current administration’s lack of development initiatives, Ashoka pointed out that “not a single lake has been developed in Mysuru” under Siddaramaiah’s leadership. “Yet they compare him to a Maharaja like Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. Siddaramaiah doesn’t even discuss development with his MLAs.”
Touching on the recent controversy surrounding deaths at Dharmasthala, Ashoka warned against politicizing the issue. “Progressive groups want the SIT to frame the report in their favor. Let the investigation happen and the guilty be punished. But don’t tarnish the sacredness of Dharmasthala by spreading falsehoods.”
With tensions simmering within the Congress and BJP leaders intensifying their rhetoric, Karnataka’s political climate is heating up ahead of the possible leadership shuffle later this year.
