Bengaluru: Had proposed Kharge as coalition cm but Sonia, rahul disposed, says Gowda
Bengaluru: Former PM and JD(S) supremo made a startling disclosure on Thursday that he had actually suggested the name of senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge to head the JD(S)-Congress coalition government when it was formed after the Assembly polls last year, considering the fragile health condition of his son H.D. Kumaraswamy.
But his idea was rejected by UPA Chairperson Mrs Sonia Gandhi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi themselves, claimed Mr Gowda while addressing a huge public meeting at Mandya on Thursday where he formally announced that his grandson, Nikhil Kumaraswamy, son of Chief Minister Kumaraswamy, would be the party candidate for Mandya.
Explaining his rationale, Mr Gowda said his party could win only 37 seats in the Assembly polls and wanted to leave the CM post to the Congress. But the Congress insisted on making Mr Kumaraswamy CM to unite all political parties in the fight against communal forces and left with no option, he was forced to give his assent.
Mr Gowda also referred to the swearing-in-ceremony of Mr Kumaraswamy which was attended by leaders of 21 regional parties as well as the CMs of six states and said this paved the way for the launch of the 'Mahaghatbandhan.' Asserting that the induction of his grandsons Prajwal Revanna and Nikhil Kumaraswamy had nothing to do with dynasty politics, he said, they had been brought in to strengthen the JD(S). “I am not a selfish man to bring my entire family into politics. I cried in Hassan on Wednesday not for the sake of my grandson but because of my connection with that place in the last six decades.”
Turning emotional, the former premier said many people had predicted an end to his six-decade long political journey but he would leave it to the people. "If the country has to survive, the Congress and JD(S) have to work like children of a mother. I will honour the 'coalition dharma' and campaign for Congress candidates. The BJP strength must be brought down to a single digit in Karnataka".
