SIDDA WILL STEP DOWN AS CM BY NOVEMBER 15 OR 16: OPPN LEADER

With the state government working to bring an ordinance to curb the number of deaths by suicide over coercive loan recovery tactics employed by microfinance institutions (MFIs) and unlicensed moneylenders, one more death and two alleged suicide attempts were reported on Tuesday in the state alleging harassment by the firms.

- Hirekop Rajan Samuel and Coovercolly Indresh

HASSAN: Leader of opposition R Ashoka claimed that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would step down by November 15 or 16 and infighting was going on between Chief Minister and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar.

R Ashoka said, "There is no government in Karnataka. They are fighting for the CM chair. It is Siddaramaiah vs DK Shivakumar. The microfinance issue is also big in Karnataka and many farmers died by suicide. There has been no development in the last 2 years. By November 15th or 16th, Siddaramaiah will go out and a new CM will come. Congress MLAs are divided. The government in Karnataka is in ICU."

Earlier Union Minister of Heavy Industries and former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy made a bold prediction, stating that the Congress-led government in Karnataka "won't last until 2028."

Kumaraswamy pointed to increasing dissatisfaction among Congress MLAs as a key factor in the government's instability.

Speaking to the press, he said, "This government (Congress Govt in Karnataka) won't last until 2028. There is a growing dissatisfaction among the Congress MLAs. We don't know when it will explode, but let's wait and watch."

Kumaraswamy added that it was incorrect to suggest that the opposition was trying to destabilize the government.

"It's not true that we are trying to topple their government; their MLAs and the people themselves are destabilising the foundation of this government," he claimed.