The Karnataka Assembly on Friday witnessed stormy scenes, followed by a walkout by opposition BJP, minutes before Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy won the trust vote through voice vote.
The day unfolded with both Kumaraswamy and opposition leader B.S. Yeddyurappa accusing each other of being a bad coalition partner and the argument ended on an ugly note with both making personal attacks. The BJP has threatened to observe a bandh across the state (barring Bengaluru) on Monday, if the JD(S) fails to implement a “total farm loan waiver” as promised by the JD(S) in its election manifesto.
Dismissing BJP's allegations that he and his family was after power, Kumarswamy said that both times, the circumstances had propelled him to the CM's chair.
“I am not power hungry. In 2006, it was the BJP leaders who approached me to form the coalition. I joined them to save my party and not to become the CM. Now, the senior Congress leaders came to me with the offer. I agreed only to make amends for the blunder I had committed by joining hands with BJP. My father's secular image had taken a beating. He was hospitalised. My action put a blot on his political career. People started looking at Mr Devegowda with suspicion. In his 60-year political career, my father enjoyed power only for 4 to 5 years including his brief stints as CM and PM. He has worked hard in the opposition,” said Kumaraswamy, who recounted the circumstances that had led to his break-up with the BJP in 2006.
“Within two months after the coalition was formed, a BJP MLA alleged that I had taken a bribe of Rs 150 crore and also filed an FIR against me, accusing me of having given supari to kill him. It shattered me. But no BKP leader supported me even though we were coalition partners. I was painted as the villain. If BJP managed to install its first government in Karnataka, they owe it to me. If BJP is today claiming that they have got people's mandate, let me remind them that they have not got 113 seats to form the government,” charged Kumaraswamy.
In an equally acerbic attack, Yeddyurappa warned the Congress party to be wary of the JD(S) – the “father-sons” party – and reminded the House about the “Great Betrayal” of the JD(S), which refused to transfer power after 20 months, violating the pact.
“If not for the BJP, you would be nowhere. I committed a blunder by forming the coalition in 2006. Even as Devegowda insisted he was not in support of the coalition, he used to write letters on various matters. Devegowda opposed my proposal to waive farm loan interst of 4 per cent, and also free electricity to pumpsets. You people made me shed tears. You ditched Dharam Singh, who got sidelined in his own party. You betrayed your partymen Zameer Ahmed and Cheluvarayaswamy. Now, (D.K.) Shivakumar has done a grave mistake by stitching this alliance. He will also regret the decision, as this father-son duo will do anything for power,” alleged Yeddurappa.
Yeddyurappa continued his tirade against the Devegowda family and demanded to know how they could stake claim to form the government when their party had bagged only 37 seats out of the 219 seats they had contested from. “You were defeated in 171 seats, you lost deposit in 121 seats and in 16 districts you did not win a single seat. I am aghast that the Congress leaders allowed the CM post to be given to the JD(S). I appeal to my Congress friends to jump the ship before Kumaraswamy's unstable boat drowns. BJP's fight is against the father-son duo (Devegowda family) and not against the Congress,” said Yeddyurappa.
When Yeddyurappa dubbed Shivakumar as the “villain” who brought about the coalition, and warned him against trusting the JD(S), Shivakumar protested saying he was only doing his duty as a party loyalist. “You (Shivakumar) will never become the CM. In a few months, the father-son will finish the Congress in the state. Why did the Congress not keep the CM's post even before the poll results were declared? I admit some MLAs visited me. I extended them invitation to join us to deny the corrupt father-son duo from wresting power. Siddaramaiah too has been sidelined in the party after the poll debacle. You people have no future in this coalition,” said Yeddyurappa.
Yeddyurappa also alleged that Kumaraswamy had issued 22 mining licenses illegally during his tenure as CM. “Even the Jantakal illegal mining case is pending, when Devegowda was the CM, he had allotted 46 sites in Mysore to his relatives. I dare them to prove me wrong,” said Yeddyurappa, before staging a walkout.
A visibly shaken Kumarswamy charged that Yeddyurappa stands exposed as he was the one who had approached the JD(S) in 2006. “Yeddyurappa wanted to join the JD(S) and had sought a cabinet berth for himself. But I was new to politics and I told him he was a leader and it would be better if he came along with at least 40 MLAs to form a coalition. Eventually, the BJP entered an alliance with us. If Yeddyurappa felt I was corrupt, why did he support my government for 20 months. He is showing concern towards Siddaramaiah's future in Congress today. But he was the one who kept telling that if he became the CM, he would send Siddaramaiah to jail,” alleged Kumaraswamy.