After a video surfaced of his son Nikhil speaking to JD (S) members about getting ready for Assembly polls, Karnataka chief minister Kumaraswamy has clarified that his son’s comments are just words of encouragement
Bengaluru: Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy said that the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in the state headed by him would complete its five-year term and any talk of midterm polls is "irrelevant".
Kumaraswamy’s comments came on Friday (June 7), after a video of his son Nikhil asking Janata Dal (Secular) workers to get ready for Assembly polls did the rounds on social media.
"Nikhil Kumaraswamy was cheering party workers and has told them that they should always be ready to serve the society. Not just during elections, they should always keep the party in an active state 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," Kumaraswamy said in a statement.
"The coalition government will successfully complete its five-year term. Any talk of midterm polls now is irrelevant," the JD(S) leader added.
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In an indication of lack of trust between the coalition partners, the video purportedly showed Nikhil asking his party workers to prepare themselves for Assembly polls, saying one doesn't know when they would come. However, he also said there was no threat to the government and his father would complete the tenure.
"We need to start now. We should not say we will do it later. We have to prepare from the next month onwards. We don't know when it (election) comes, next year, after two years or three years. The JD(S) leaders should be ready," the video showed the Kumaraswamy junior telling party workers.
"There is no problem to the government. It will complete (its tenure). You get tensed due to the reports in the media. It is not like that. We know what is there inside (government). Nothing will happen. Kumaranna (Kumaraswamy) will run (the government) for the next four years too," he had said.
Nikhil lost the Lok Sabha election from Mandya to the BJP-backed independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh. His remarks to JDS workers had gained significance amid coalition woes and threat of instability.
The Congress and JD(S) leaders are trying to save their coalition with even plans of a Cabinet expansion, fearing the BJP might revive efforts to topple the government encouraged by its spectacular win in the Lok Sabha polls in which it won 25 of the 28 seats in Karnataka. The coalition partners had won only one seat each.
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