Hassan: JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda is a worried father. His favourite son and Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy is under tremendous pressure, feels the senior Gowda. And the reason behind the stress? Congress. At a rally here on Sunday night, Gowda said Kumaraswamy is finding it difficult and is under tremendous pressure running the coalition government with the Congress.
“Running a coalition government with the Congress having 78 MLAs is not easy. But Kumaraswamy is managing well though he is under pressure. Both parties are aware of their social responsibilities.” He did not hide his disappointment and ire at the Congress for insisting on continuing all the programmes of the Siddaramaiah government.
“Though it is difficult, we have managed to waive farm loans despite continuing all programmes of the Siddaramaiah government,” he said. Gowda hinted that his son was far better than Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Modi failed to fulfil his election promises, but Kumaraswamy, as promised during the assembly election, has waived farmers’ loan.
In the state budget, he plans to increase old age pension for persons above 70 years,” he said. The JD(S) chief also extended support to AICC chief Rahul Gandhi to become the Prime Minister.“If Rahul becomes the PM, is there anybody to stop him?” he asked. His “is there anybody to stop him” comment was aimed at the recent seat-sharing pact between BSP and SP in Uttar Pradesh, which sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha. While non-Congress leaders have welcomed the BSP-SP alliance, Gowda threw his weight behind Gandhi.
On his grandson and JD(S) general secretary Prajwal Revanna contesting from Hassan Lok Sabha seat, he said, “Though I have plans to field him from Hassan, the final decision has not yet been taken. It requires a meeting with senior leaders of the party.”