Bengaluru: State JD(S) president H D Kumaraswamy, who will be administered the oath of office as the 25th Chief Minister of Karnataka on the steps of the Vidhana Soudha by Governor Vajubhai Vala on Wednesday, intends to continue to staying in his own bungalow in the JP Nagar residential neighbourhood.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Telangana Chief Minister, K Chandrashekhar Rao, who called on him on Tuesday as he will not be able to make it to the oath taking ceremony, Mr Kumaraswamy said he would not make use of his official bungalow.
"I plan to be economical in using government facilities and I hope other ministers will follow suit. I built this house 25 years ago and everything good has happened to me here," he explained.
Admitting that doctors had advised him to take care of his health, he quipped it would be good if he continued to be in the midst of the people.
"I have decided to continue programmes like Gram Vasthavya, which was very popular when I was Chief Minister for the first time,'' he said. Born on December 16, 1959, Mr Kumaraswamy was out of politics for a long time, producing movies and working as a contractor, and came into active politics only in 1996, when he contested from Kanakapura Parliamentary constituency and defeated former Union Minister, Chandrashekhar Murthy. But in 1999, he lost from both the Kanakapura Parliamentary constituency and Sathanur Assembly constituency.
In 2004, he contested from Ramanagar Assembly constituency and won when the JD(S) formed a coalition government with the Congress. Two years later, he staged a coup against the then CM N Dharam Singh, split the party and joined hands with the BJP to become CM.
