'My phone is being tapped, Siddaramaiah's too', alleges former Karnataka CM Yeddyurappa, clamining this isn't the first time

Three persons who each held the post of Chief Minister of Karnataka within the space of a month around the time of the recent assembly elections in the state, HD Kumaraswamy, BS Yeddyurappa and Siddaramaiah, continue to make charges and counter-charges against one another, this time, with Yeddyurappa being the alleged aggrieved party.

The BJP Karnataka chief has alleged that the current Chief Minister, HD Kumaraswamy, is tapping his phone. 

"My phone is being tapped", Yeddyurappa said, demanding an inquiry into the matter.

Further, he added that his wasn't the only phone that was being tapped, complaining on behalf of his political rival Siddaramaiah.

"Apart from mine, even Siddaramaiah's phone and others' phones are being tapped. An inquiry should be ordered to look into it."

Yeddyurappa went further to allege that this wasn't the first time phones had been tapped, stating, "Earlier too, when phones were tapped you know what has happened. I urge the government to order a probe."

In response to Yeddyurappa's jibe that the alleged phone-tapping was on account of the government not having faith in its own people, Karnataka Deputy CM, G Parameshwara of the Congress, denied that any snooping was taking place, hence, the question of not having faith doesn't arise.

JD(S)-CONGRESS ALLIANCE BESET BY BICKERING

The months since the election have seen Yeddyurappa taking a comparative backseat in terms of state politics as the Congress' Siddaramaiah has been the one who has most needled ally JD(S), saying just recently that he wants to be Chief Minister of the state again. This had prompted complaints from the JD(S) top leadership, a matter that was further exacerbated by the Congress being in a 3-2 majority in the Siddaramaiah-led coordination committee of the two parties. The JD(S) has demanded that its new party president H Vishwanath, and others, join the committee, even as the Congress is looking to introduce its new KPCC chief Dinesh Gundu Rao in the panel.

Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy has yet to look completely comfortable with his alliance, regularly hitting out, and once even breaking into tears, and complaining about being in pain on account of having swallowed the poison of coalition government. The JD (S) leader is all set to meet Congress supremo Rahul Gandhi at his residence in Delhi later on Thursday.

THE MONTH WHEN SIDDARAMAIAH, YEDDYURAPPA AND KUMARASWAMY HAD EACH BEEN KARNATAKA CM

The apparent instability in the alliance stems from the fact that the Congress is the larger partner despite the Chief Minister coming from the JD(S). Siddaramaiah's party's high command had offered its unconditional support to the JD(S) in the aftermath of the Karnataka election results as the BJP emerged as the single-largest party but failed to reach the all-important half-way mark. However, the state's Governor invited Yeddyurappa to take oath as CM first, which he duly did, but with the Supreme Court calling for his floor test to be expedited, resigned from the post presumably because he didn't have the numbers. Kumaraswamy, however, had no trouble in proving his majority and was sworn in as CM with almost the entire national opposition making a show of strength at the Karnataka Vidhana Soudha.