Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s speech in the Legislative Assembly on Friday, ahead of a trust vote, was largely dedicated to explaining the circumstances under which he had a truck with the BJP back in 2006 and arguing that his present alliance with the Congress was aimed at clearing that “blemish.”
In a repentant mood, he said, “I was still a novice in politics in 2006. I am still guilty of taking political decisions that hurt my father (H.D. Deve Gowda).”
The Chief Minister said he too contributed to the emergence of the BJP in Karnataka, which the BJP leaders called “gateway of the South.”
He described the formation of the coalition government with the Congress as an attempt at clearing the “blemish” that his father had to suffer because of his decision to join hands with the “communal BJP” in 2006.
Mr. Kumaraswamy, who moved the motion on the trust vote of his government soon after the election of the Speaker in the Legislative Assembly, hit out at Opposition Leader B.S. Yeddyurappa who has been criticising the coalition as “opportunistic.”
He said that the government will complete its five-year term and fulfil promises made by the coalition partners in their manifesto, including farm loan waiver.
“This will be a model coalition government,” he said. He thanked the Congress leaders for supporting the alliance and said, “I was not desirous of the Chief Minister’s post, but it is my good fortune that I got it for the second time.”
Referring to himself as the most controversial politician in the State, Mr. Kumaraswamy said, “In all those occasions, I was the victim of circumstances.”
Defending his decision on breaking the alliance with the Congress in 2006, he said the JD(S)-BJP alliance was formed in 2006 to save the party in those political circumstances.
Talking of the present alliance with the Congress, he said: “The decision is in the best interest to protect secular and democratic character of the country.” Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement on not allowing any political party to come to power except the BJP, the Chief Minister asked: “How could the Prime Minister of a country, being custodian of democracy, make such a statement?”
Taking on Governor Vajubhai Vala for granting 15 days to the BJP to prove majority and denying an opportunity for the coalition parties, which have numbers, he asked, “Why was not a similar gesture shown by Governor of Goa when Congress emerged as a single largest party?”