Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Friday, 7 June, said the JD(S)-Congress coalition government headed by him would complete its five-year term and any talk of mid-term polls now is “irrelevant.”
His comments came after a video of his son Nikhil asking JD(S) workers to get ready for Assembly polls was doing the rounds on social media.
“Nikhil Kumaraswamy cheering up party workers, has told them that they should always be ready to serve the society. Not only during elections, they should always keep the party in a state of activeness so as to win the election whenever it comes. This statement of his has been quoted out of context by the media to represent that there may be election anytime.”HD Kumaraswamy, Chief Minister, Karnataka
Start Preparing for K’taka Polls: Nikhil Kumaraswamy
Indicating 'lack of trust' between the coalition partners, Nikhil Kumaraswamy, in a viral video, was purportedly seen asking JD(S) workers to prepare themselves for Assembly polls.
In the video, that has since gone viral on social media, he is heard telling his party workers that the elections may come anytime, be it next year or after two or three years.
“We need to start now only. We should not say we will do it later. We have to prepare from the next month onwards. We do not know when it (election) comes, next year, after two years or three years. JD(S) leaders should be ready.”Nikhil Kumaraswamy
Nikhil, who lost the recent Lok Sabha poll from Mandya to BJP-backed independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh in a fiercely fought contest, however, said there was no threat to the government and his father will complete the tenure.
"There is no problem to the government. It will complete (its tenure). You get tensed due to reports in media. It is not like that. We know what is there inside (the government). Kumaranna (Kumaraswamy) will run (the government) for the next four years too," he said.
The video of Nikhil speaking to Janata Dal (Secular) workers in Mandya a few days ago was first shared by party worker Sunil Gowda Dandiganahalli.
Nikhil’s statement comes close on the heels of AH Vishwanath’s resignation as state JD(S) chief after owning “moral responsibility” for the party’s debacle in the Lok Sabha polls and flaying the functioning of the coalition government.
The Congress is also in turmoil with miffed "sidelined" senior leaders openly slamming the party's state leadership over the poll debacle and functioning of the coalition.
The coalition partners could win only one seat each from Bengaluru Rural and Hassan, with BJP capturing 25 of the 28 seats in the state.
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