Karnataka chief minister felicitated in Hyderabad

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was felicitated here Saturday by the leaders of ruling Congress party.

The function was organised by Rajya Sabha member V. Hanumantha Rao to honour Siddaramaiah for Congress party's win in the Karnataka assembly elections.

Thanking Rao and other leaders of backward classes for felicitating him, the Karnataka chief minister hoped that the two states would work together to march on path of development.

He pointed out that Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and other southern states share same culture and tradition as they were part of one empire.

"I am not a stranger here," said Siddaramaiah, who also spoke few Telugu words, much to the delight of Congress workers.

The chief minister said many people in Karnataka, especially in Bangalore speak Telugu. Describing Bangalaore as 'mini India', he said one finds people from all regions of India and speaking different languages in the city.

Siddaramaiah said it was only the Congress party, which give the backward classes, scheduled castes and other weaker sections their due place.

Targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its divisive politics, he said the party had to bite the dust in Karnataka despite Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi campaigning for the party.

The Karnataka chief minister exuded confidence that Congress party would form the government for the third consecutive time both at the centre and in Andhra Pradesh.

Hanumantha Rao, who is also convenor of OBC MP's forum, brought together leaders of the backward classes, schedules castes, scheduled tribes and minorities on the occasion.

AICC secretary K.B. Krishna Murthy said Siddaramaiah now has an onerous task of rebuilding Karnataka, which he said was battered during BJP rule.

Union Ministers Rahman Khan, Panabaka Lakshmi, Balram Naik, Srikanth Jena, Sarve Satyanarayana, MPs T. Subbarami Reddy, Ponnam Prabhakar, several ministers and Congress leaders from both Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka attended the function.