Regional parties must join hands with the Congress: HD Kumaraswamy

Kumaraswamy and the government he leads are often held up by the Congress as examples of how the national party has been accommodative of its regional allies

india Updated: Oct 15, 2018 08:25 IST

Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy during an interview at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi. (Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)

It has been nearly five months since HD Kumaraswamy became the chief minister of Karnataka for the second time on May 23. The 58-year-old Janta Dal (Secular) leader and the government he leads are often held up by the Congress as examples of how the national party has been accommodative of its regional allies.

In an in-depth conversation with Venkatesha Babu, Kumaraswamy spoke about the political situation in the country, the role of regional parties, and the challenges of running a coalition government. Edited excerpts:

What is your assessment of how things stand ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections?

The race for 2019 is wide open. There are a few more months to go before elections. Our intention is to ensure the formation of a non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre under the leadership of Rahulji [Congress president Rahul Gandhi]. In Karnataka, I think that JD(S)-Congress alliance can easily win 23-25 of the 28 parliamentary seats.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was a pre-poll ally of the JD(S) in Karnataka even before you tied up with Congress, and is a part of your government. However, BSP chief Mayawati has nixed an alliance with Congress in some states, which is likely to benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party. Is Opposition unity a mirage?

What you say is correct, we had a pre-poll tie-up with the BSP. I have also seen the recent statement of Mayawatiji. I want to appeal to all regional parties to sink their differences and join hands with the Congress to ensure the BJP defeat. While [the BSP] may have had its reasons for the decisions it took, the need of the hour is to ensure Opposition unity so that [anti-BJP] votes are not divided. Regional parties have to recognise that the Congress has a crucial role in consolidating anti-BJP votes, and thus all of us must come together. So whether it is Mayawatiji, Mamatji [Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee] or other leaders, all of us need to present a united front against the BJP.

It is being said that unlike the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has Narendra Modi as its face, the proposed Opposition ‘Mahagatbandhan’ doesn’t have anybody to counter it. How would you respond to this?

This is not true. I would like to point out -- look in Karnataka itself, Rahulji went to the extent of offering the chief minister’s post to a party which had half the seats as the Congress. It shows Rahulji’s magnanimity, willingness and large-heartedness to go the extra mile to be accommodative towards allies. As the Congress is the largest party of the ‘Mahagatbandhan’, it is but natural that Rahulji is our candidate, which I have said in the past too.

Is your government stable? Do you have to keep worrying about the dissidence in the Congress party related to ministerial berths and the role of former chief minister Siddaramaiah?

I am fully confident that my government will complete its full five-year term, much to the disappointment of my Bharatiya Janata Party friends. Siddaramaiah has been a pillar of strength for my government. If there are internal issues [within the Congress], they will sort it out. If there is any threat to my government, I am sure that even my friends within the Bharatiya Janata Party will come to our aid and vote for our government (laughs).

Has the massive loan waiver scheme meant that developmental activities on all other fronts have come to a standstill?

This is another canard being spread by the Bharatiya Janata Party. They are unable to stomach the fact that we implemented the loan waiver for farmers. Karnataka has a buoyant economy where revenues are growing healthily. This has enabled us to actually enhance allocations to other sectors, too, including things like social welfare and infrastructure

In the short span you have been in power, what have been the focus areas of your government?

While we have been focusing on all areas, if one has to call it out, the focus has been on agriculture, education, employment and infrastructure.

We have taken several measures, including farm loan waivers to reduce rural distress; the privatisation of education due to neglect by the previous governments had meant the middle-class and poor were suffering, and I have allotted money for rebuilding and construction of government schools; we are developing nine industrial clusters outside Bengaluru with each one having the potential to generate at least one lakh jobs in each district of the state. Apart from these, we are making massive investments in infrastructure, be it the outer peripheral ring road or the elevated roads and even rural networks. I can go on and on about all the initiatives that we have taken.

Your wife Anitha Kumaraswamy is likely to contest elections from Ramnagara – one of the two seats you won. Also your nephew Prajwal Revanna is likely to contest parliamentary elections. There are reports that your son Nikhil, who is a film actor, may enter politics too. Your opponents accuse you of being a father, sons and now grandsons party. How would you respond?

Why do they always want to pick up on Deve Gowda’s family alone? Isn’t [Bharatiya Janata Party leader] Yeddyurappa’s son B Y Raghavendra in politics? I can name dozens of leaders from other parties whose children are also in politics. My wife had been an MLA earlier too. If party workers want, then she will contest. What is wrong in it?

Ultimately it is the voters who will decide their fate. Can they win without popular support? Please don’t drag my son into this. He is young and working in the movie industry. People and party workers will decide whether somebody should become a leader. Nobody can be foisted.

In 2019, will your father and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda have a role at the Centre?

We are not looking for any role. But, at the same time, my father has friends across the political spectrum and can help bring together people. While he might not be interested in fighting elections any more, we need him more than ever to guide us to ensure the installation of a non-BJP government at the Centre.

First Published: Oct 15, 2018 06:58 IST