Mysuru: Playing the sympathy card to the hilt, Janata Dal (S) state chief, H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday told the people of Chamundeswari constituency here that his heart surgery had given him a fresh lease of life and he hoped to spend his remaining years serving the people of Karnataka.
Addressing a 25,000 strong crowd at the first rally of his party’s pre-poll campaign, “Kumara Parva” or “Jana Vikasa Vahini” at Lingadevarakoppalu, he appealed to people to make him Chief Minister and give him just two years to make a difference to farmers and the state. “My stint as Chief Minister for 20 months was just a trailer. Test me just once more,” he added.
Referring to his mother, Chennamma who in a rare appearance at a party event, inaugurated the rally, he said, “I promise before my mother, who saved me by praying for me from 4 am to 2 pm without eating a bite, and my father, that I want to solve your problems and not merely live for myself or loot the state.”
Referring to party supremo, H D Deve Gowda, he said his father was committed to making him Chief Minister because he had lost hope in both the Congress and the BJP. “People are ready to vote. If we try we can easily win nine or 10 of the 11 constituencies in Mysuru district alone,” he declared, adding that he would ensure that the 75 lakh farmers families in the state were never again debt- ridden if his party came to power.
“You don’t have to wait till 2024 to increase your wealth, but just give me two years. Save farmers by voting for the JD (S),” he stressed. While advising people not to be carried away by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speeches, Mr Kumaraswamy also hit out at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for failing to save the lives of farmers, including the 150 who had killed themselves in Mysuru district alone.
Claiming that Mr Siddaramaiah was not what he appeared to be, the JD(S) leader contended that he was no longer the man he was when he was still with his party and Mr Deve Gowda. “ My father used all his energy to nurture him, but he ditched the party as he felt he could not become CM while he was in it,” he deplored.
Contending that the credit for the state’s Annabhagya scheme should go to Mr Deve Gowda, as it was he who started it when he was PM, Mr Kumaraswamy claimed the credit for the Ksheera bhagya should go to his brother, H D Revanna who had improved the KMF , when it was running at a loss.
