Bengaluru: Barely two months after Kumaraswamy took charge of the government in Karnataka, despite being the minority party in the Congress-JD(S) coalition formed to keep BJP at bay, the Chief minister broke down at a felicitation party organised for him by party workers.
“You are standing with flowers on roads, near my house, to wish me… you all are happy as I became the Chief Minister, but I’m not… I’m not happy. I know the pain of the coalition government. I became vishakant (Lord Shiva who drank poison) swallowing the pain of this coalition government,” an emotional Kumaraswamy told party workers. He went on to say that he did not wish to be Chief Minister to enjoy power but to solve the problems of the people and fulfill the unfinished agenda of his father. But the people, he said, did not give him majority.
His deputy, G Parameshwara of the Congress, however, brushed off the reports, saying “How can he say that? He must be definitely happy. The CM has to be always happy, if he’s happy we all will be happy.”
This is not the first time that Kumaraswamy has expressed displeasure in taking the CM’s post. “I have not become Chief Minister today happily. I have pain. I had placed several issues in front of people during election feeling that they will trust me, but people of the state have not shown trust in me,” HDK had commented soon after his oath ceremony in May.
Yesterday’s comments came in the backdrop of the ups-and-downs witnessed in the coalition government over various issues including presentation of the Budget. HDK’s decision to hike fuel taxes also has received criticism from senior Congress leaders, including the former chief minister.
Notably, while this coalition has been taunted as an “unholy alliance” by the opposition party, both the Congress and JD(S) have tried to put up an united front. Moreover this coalition assumes significance as political parties are now floating the idea of an united front to combat BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
