Former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy was today unanimously elected leader of the JDS Legislature Party and he straightway fired a salvo against the new Congress government, accusing it of using 'money power' to win Periyapatna Assembly election scheduled for May 28.
"The Congress has already begun using 'money power' to win Periyapatna Assembly poll. We will not allow them to use money power to win the poll as it is an acid test for the JDS," he told reporters here after his election.
The poll to the Periyapatana segment was deferred owing to the death of BJP candidate Sannamage Gowda.
Referring to the assertion of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah that his cabinet was shorn of 'tainted' ministers, Kumaraswmy said, "This is not a clean government as it is obvious when we see the names of the new ministers."
Several Lokayukta cases are pending against R V Deshpande, T B Jaychandra, Baburo Chinchunsur, Ramalinga Reddy, Kishna Byre Gowda and a few others, he claimed.
On Siddaramaiah's plans to promote cheap liquor, he indicated there is a nexus between Chief Minister and liquor saying "Siddharamaiah should tell who is behind this move."
He said the JDS will give six months of "honeymoon period" to allow the new government to settle down.
Kumaraswamy said JDS MP Cheluvananaraya Swamy would accompany him to Delhi to tender resignation from their Lok Sabha seats tomorrow following their election to the Assembly.
"We are also meeting President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to convey our thanks," he added.
