Former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Tuesday engaged in a blame game on social media over the collapse of the Congress-Janata Dal (United) coalition government in the state, PTI reported.

The 14-month-old coalition lost the trust vote in the state Assembly on July 23, following which the Bharatiya Janata Party formed the government with BS Yediyurappa as the chief minister.

“Kumaraswamy does not speak with sense,” the Congress leader said. “GT Devegowda who is Janata Dal (Secular) MLA and was minister in his Cabinet has recently said that Kumaraswamy had asked him to get votes transferred to Bharatiya Janata Party candidates in Mysuru and Chamarajanagra [during Lok Sabha polls].” Siddaramaiah also criticised the former chief minister saying that he was being dramatic ahead of the bye elections.

Siddaramaiah made the remarks after Kumaraswamy blamed the Congress for his father HD Deve Gowda’s defeat in Tumakuru, his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy’s loss in Mandya, and Congress candidate KH Muniyappa’s defeat in Kolar in the Lok Sabha elections this year.

The Congress leader also took a dig at Kumaraswamy with reference to a Kannada song Neene Sakida Gili (the parrot you nurtured). “Yes you [Kumaraswamy] are right, the parrots I trusted attacked me like eagles,” he said, according to Hindustan Times. “It was my mistake that despite four-decades’ experience, I misconstrued an eagle to be a parrot and formed a coalition with it. Will it not attack? What is a better teacher than experience?”

The Janata Dal (Secular) leader responded that Siddaramaiah “could not tolerate” the Congress high command’s decision to make Kumaraswamy the chief minister. “He [Siddaramaiah] had told his party MLAs that he will not allow the coalition government to continue even for a second after the Lok Sabha polls,” Kumaraswamy said.

He also criticised the Congress leader for his reference to the song and said that he was not a parrot that was nurtured by Siddaramaiah. The Janata Dal (Secular) leader added that the people of Ramanagara [Kumaraswamy’s constituency] was the reason he grew in state politics.

Last month, Deve Gowda had alleged that Siddaramaiah was responsible for the coalition’s collapse. The former prime minister claimed that the Congress leader, who was the chief minister till 2018, could not reconcile with his party’s decision to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party out of power.

Days later, Siddaramaiah blamed the Janata Dal (Secular) for the collapse, saying Kumaraswamy never implemented decisions taken by coordination committee and that he did not grant funds for the development of their constituencies.

Now, follow and debate the day’s most significant stories on Scroll Exchange.