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Dissent won't impact on no-trust move against J H Patel

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today said the difference of opinion among the ruling Janata Dal legislators would not come in the way when the no-confidence motion against the J H Patel ministry, moved by the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress in the state assembly, was taken up for voting.

Talking to newsmen in Gulbarga, Siddaramaiah, heading the team of senior ministers that is trying to defuse the situation arising out of the dissident Dal legislators' demand for change in the leadership of J H Patel, said the dissidents and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda had also decided to extend support to Patel on the no-confidence issue and defeat the motion.

He said the Janata Dal believed in transparency and democracy. The party was so strong that it could withstand any threat or crisis and so far, no legislator or minister from the party had crossed such a line attracting disciplinary action, he added.

On the persistent demand of the dissidents for a change in the leadership, Siddaramaiah said senior ministers were holding talks with Gowda on the issue.

On Union commerce minister and Lok Shakthi chief Ramakrishna Hegde's claim that some of the ministers in the Patel cabinet were his followers, Siddaramaiah retorted: "Anybody can claim anything. But we are not going to give much credit to it."

UNI

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