TUMAKURU: The JDS on Wednesday plunged into campaigning for the Sira bypoll, with former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy making a startling revelation at a public meeting: Prime Minister Narendra Modi had offered him the CM’s post after the 2018 assembly polls.
“Even the BJP offered me the post, with Narendra Modi himself promising that he will ensure that no one disturbs me from the post for five years,” he said, apparently to impress upon the 20,000-plus Muslim electorate of his credentials as a secular leader. He also said he was reluctant to accept the Congress offer to lead the JDS-Congress alliance government as former PM HD Deve Gowda was ready to extend support if the Congress had chosen a leader like Mallikarjun Kharge as CM candidate.
“I was forced to accept the post by the Congress central leadership, and finally made up my mind so that I could fulfil the promises the party made to the people, especially farmers,” he added. Targeting former CM Siddaramaiah, he said he did not allow him to govern the state, and instead, broke the alliance along with “other narrow-minded leaders”.
HDK attacked the Yediyurappa government, saying it had scrapped all pro-people schemes, with people fraudulently taking crop loans multiple times. Taking a jibe at BJP vice-president BY Vijayendra, he appealed to the electorate not to fall prey to money power. Former minister HD Revanna and Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna also delivered speeches filled with emotion, in an apparent bid to gain the sympathy over the untimely death of B Satyanarayana.