Kumaraswamy confident of forming Govt on his own

Former Chief Minister and JDs president HD Kumaraswamy said his party would form the Government on its own in Karnataka. Talking to select media at Mandya on Saturday blamed both the Congress and the BJP as corrupt parties and said he was fully confidant of forming the Government with their coalition partner BSP— which has no significant presence in Karnataka. Kumaraswamy who has taken Congress and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is concentrating in old Mysuru area and seems to have an edge in these districts which have vokkaliga concentration.

He said “ I am confident we are along with BSP our coalition partner will form the Government. I am fully confident we will form the Government. Siddaramaiah is scared to face us. That’s why he is contesting from two places.”

Karnataka is going to polls on May 12 which is crucial for both the ruling Congress and the BJP. At this juncture many poll surveys predict JD(S) as the kingmaker. But confident Kumaraswamy who has taken Siddaramaiah head on has become political reality in the poll bound Karnataka. He slammed both national parties(congress and the BJP ) and called them as most corrupt. “ Both the Congress and the BJP have looted the State. Karnataka has debt of over rupees 300000 crore. They are corrupt and did not develop the state,” he added.

Kumaraswamy who dreams of coming back to power hopes  for a regional force slammed Congress election manifesto and said no body will take them. “ This manifesto  is talking about strengthening Lokayukta institution .  what are they talking. They have  destroyed the Lokayukta intuition and diluted .  Do you think people believe them. They are the root cause for destroying Lokayukta. They also talk about giving 1 crore jobs. What are they talking? They have not even fill up existing vacancies how can they create 1 crore jobs. It is all bogus,” Kumaraswamy attacked the congress manifesto.

For a question on Siddaramaiah’s allegation of Kumaraswamy meeting with BJP president Amit Shah, he shot back and said let him prove the allegations. He said” Siddaramaiah is desperate as he would lose in both the places he is making such baseless allegations”.

Kumaraswamy who is fighting to come back to political relevance finds this election as an opportunity and polarising vokkaliga votes in old Mysuru area which is crucial for his party. Kumaraswamy is contesting from Ramanagara and Chennapatna constituencies both are agrarian led vokkaliga belt. Political pundits predicts polarization of dominant communities like Vokkaligas (farming community) and Lingayats against appeasement politics of ruling congress government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Meanwhile the BJP National President Amit Shah who is in Karnataka working out strategies to defeat congress mocked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and said he is facing defeat in both the places. Addressing a public rally at Gangavathi in Koppal district he said  

"The Congress depends on Siddaramaiah in this assembly election. He himself is running away from the Chamundeshwari assembly constituency to the Badami assembly constituency. How much can you escape? Our candidate B Sriramulu will defeat you."

Referring to Congress President Rahul Gandhi posing questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on national issues during his ongoing two-day campaign in the state,  Shah  said the ruling Congress should answer questions on its performance. "I have come here to answer your (Rahul) questions.... it is your party's turn to answer because this is an assembly election in a state which your party ruled for five years."

"Siddaramaiah has made Karnataka a number one state in farmers' suicides, atrocities on women, unemployment and corruption," he said. The BJP president also took a jibe at the chief Minister once sporting a Rs 40 lakh watch, saying he had not yet answered where he got it from and who gifted it to him.

"But under the Modi government, the 14th Finance Commission released a grant of Rs 2.2 lakh crore for various development works. Apart from it, another Rs 80,000 crore was given under various schemes," he said and wondered where all this money had gone.

Shah, who kick-started yet another round of his election campaign in the state, visited Gavi Siddeshwara Math in Koppal and took the blessings of its seer Abhinava Gavisiddeshwara Swamiji. He also addressed a public meeting at Kukoor under the Yelburga assembly constituency of Koppal, where he denounced Rahul Gandhi for showing 'disrespect' for the national song "Vande Mataram, "which anchored our freedom movement and for which so many Indians sacrificed their lives". However Congress dubbed this as a fake video.