HDK says he’ll win back hearts, make voters regret poll snub

BENGALURU: Chief minister HD Kumaraswamy on Thursday vowed to win back the hearts of voters, and even make them regret not supporting the Congress-JD(S) combine in the Lok Sabha elections, by providing good governance.
“I have taken it as a challenge. I will change gears and make Karnataka the number one state in the country in terms of development. I will win back people’s confidence so much so that they would repent for not voting for us in the Lok Sabha elections,” he said while releasing a booklet on his government’s achievements over the past year. He was accompanied by deputy chief minister G Parameshwara at the event.
Kumaraswamy expressed satisfaction over his performance as the leader of the state and said his cabinet made honest efforts to provide good administration despite the pulls and pressures of the coalition format.
“From the Rs 25,000-crore loan waiver to English medium schools, and from tackling drought successfully to helping victims of the Kodagu floods, my government has done a lot of work. Unfortunately, our work didn’t get much publicity in media,” Kumaraswamy said.
Defending his village stay programme, which begins in Chandraki in Yadgir district on Friday, Kumaraswamy said it was not a gimmick, but an honest effort to interact with people and solve their problems. He said he had asked all ministers and MLAs to undertake village stays. “It will energise the bureaucracy, and boost work,” he added.
The chief minister switched the topic to the BJP, claiming the party and its state chief, BS Yeddyurappa, were trying to destabilise his government. “Efforts are still on, but they will not be successful. My government has been stable, and it will remain stable in future,” he said.
He criticised Yeddyurappa for trying to discredit his recent tour of drought-hit districts. “In private, he has confided in officials that the government is tackling drought effectively, but he cannot say so in public,” Kumaraswamy claimed.
He sought to know why Yeddyurappa had not submitted any report or complaint to the government if the latter had detected shortcomings in the drought relief efforts.
Meanwhile, Parameshwara dismissed the reported stand of Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah and senior legislator HK Patil that the Congress should severe ties with the JD(S), saying “individual opinions” don’t count.
“They are all individual opinions and they are different from the collective opinion of the party. They must have said what did keeping the Congress party’s interest in mind, but they [the views] are for the next election, which is far away,” Parameshwara said.
BOOKMARKING ONE YEAR: Kumaraswamy and Parameshwara released a booklet on their government’s achievements. Below: CM boarded a train to travel for his village stay initiative