By Express News Service
BENGALURU:While a Congress-JD(S) combine government was sworn in in Karnataka earlier in the day, JD(S) and its supporters stole the show on Wednesday evening. From the loudest cheers to the largest number of flags being waved, it was a all through a JD(S) show. The number of Congress flags outside the Vidhana Soudha paled before the number of JD(S) flags flying high.
Cheering for the Congress was lost in the loud chants of "Gowdara Gowda Deve Gowda" and "Mukthyamantri Kumaranna" with crowds cheering the JD(S) on. Despite having the larger number of legislators — 78 plus two independents — the Congress was made to look like the junior partner in the coalition, at least if the crowds, flags and the atmosphere was anything to go by.
With just 38 seats, the JD(S) state chief was sworn in as Chief Minister of Karnataka for the second time on Wednesday. The entire Gowda clan was seen together. Anitha Kumaraswamy and son Nikhil Gowda entered Vidhana Soudha's grand steps together with H D Kumaraswamy while a cheerfully smiling Deve Gowda went about greeting all political leaders seated on the dais. His wife Chennamma followed him diligently before being offered a chair to sit. Brother Revanna went about overseeing seating arrangements. Colourfully dressed, the family beamed smiles for a photo towards the end of the ceremony.
"My alliance with the BJP was a taint on my father. I want to clear it," Kumaraswamy had told the media justifying his post-poll alliance with the Congress in Karnataka. A miffed Deve Gowda had skipped Kumaraswamy's oath-taking ceremony in 2006 when his party, in coalition with the BJP, had come to power. Wednesday's display of family support made it clear that all had been forgotten.
Supporters of Kumaraswamy had travelled from Hassan, Mysuru, Mandya, Ramanagara and Channapatna to witness the ceremony. The roads between Vidhana Soudha and the High Court were blocked to make space for supporters who also found solace on treetops to get a better view. The loudest cheers rose for Deve Gowda, Kumaraswamy and D K Shivakumar. A joint sign-off by Shivakumar and Kumaraswamy sent the crowd roaring, making it an apt showstopper.
HDK fan who renounced footwear in 2007, sports shoes again
Kalaburagi: Fakruddin of Sulepet village of Chincholi taluk had stopped wearing footwear 11 years ago
after H D Kumaraswamy demitted the CM’s office. He had vowed to wear footwear only after seeing HDK being sworn in as the CM, which happened on Wednesday. Immediately after HDK took the oath as the Chief Minister, Fakruddin’s family and friends brought him a pair of shoes. “It is hard to believe a chief minister walking around the village with his hands on the shoulders of a common man. I became his fan the day I saw him do that,” he said.
