Cracks In Alliance? Teary-Eyed Kumaraswamy Says He Is Unhappy, Swallowing The Poison Of Coalition Government

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who is heading a Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress coalition, broke down at a party function organised on Saturday to felicitate him for waiving off farm loans, saying he was finding it difficult to cope with the pressures of office, The New Indian Express reported.

“You may be happy that your elder or younger brother became the CM. But I am not happy. I am keeping in myself all the pain, as the "Vishakanta'. People gather in large numbers to listen my speech but they will forget my party at the time of voting. I do not blame the electorate. I have undergone heart surgery for the second time and my body is working without any rest. I became Chief Minister due to the blessings of my parents and God's grace and formed the government with the help of Congress," he said, addressing a gathering of supporters and party workers in Bengaluru’s Seshadripuram.

The Chief Minister said he was not happy because he is heading a coalition government which lacks the mandate of the people.

“If I want, I can step down any minute. Wherever I go, people come to greet me, tell me they are happy about the farm loan waiver. It makes me sad is that they did not vote for me to be able to have majority. No state had the will to waive farm loans. There was opposition but I kept my promise,” he added.

Kumaraswamy accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of forcing fishermen to belittle him. He said he was pained when a fisherwoman declared “He is not our chief minister”. He said he was shocked when mango growers set their produce on fire, adding, “This is why I released Rs 25 crore for the growers”. He said the BJP was creating suspicion about his programmes among the people.

Towards the end of the function, Kumaraswamy announced the launch of a mobile bank tasked with disbursing interest-free loans to farmers.