Bengaluru: In preparation for his swearing-in as Chief Minister of Karnataka ceremony to be held later today, HD Kumaraswamy visited the Chamundi Temple in the morning.
Addressing the media reports of him going back on his promises made to the farmers of the state, HDK told reporters after visiting the temple, that there is no change in his position on the issue of loan waivers for farmers.
“Some media channels have shown that I have taken a U-turn in farm loan policies. However, there is no change in my position in giving farm loan waiver. All decisions will be taken by the coalition and not just me. All the promises made in the manifesto will be implemented. Safeguarding the interest of the farming community is our top priority,” he told reporters.
He also added that although he was forced into an alliance to form the government, he did not intend to change his politics or his position on topics. “But, we must remember, that this is a coalition government and not me alone,” he said adding that decisions would be taken in consultation with the alliance partners.
After Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa resigned from his post on May 19, after a mere two days due to failure of attaining the numbers required to prove the majority in the Assembly, HD Kumaraswamy was invited by Governor Vajubhai Vala to form the new government with the support of the Congress party.
HDK was initially expected to be sworn-in on Monday, May 21 but, as it was the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, the ceremony was postponed to May 23.
Leaders from various opposition parties are expected to attent the ceremony including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav, Arvind Kejriwal, Chandrababu Naidu, KCR, Mamata Banerjee, Farooq Abdullah, Sitaram Yechury, Pinarai Vijayan, Kamal Haasan and Tejaswi Yadav.
It was earlier believed that actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan had cancelled his trip to Bengaluru as he wanted to visit Thoothukudi (Tuticorin) after anti-Sterlite protesters were killed in the police shooting. Sources close to Haasan however, have clarified that he will be visiting Tuticorin and also attend the swearing-in ceremony of HDK.
MK Stalin however, has cancelled his plans to attend the swearing-in ceremony due to incident in Thoothukudi.
As a precautionary measure to ensure the security and the smooth progress of events, around 2,500 policemen have been deployed in various areas surrounding the Vidhan Soudha, where HDK will be sworn-in as the new Chief Minister. Bengaluru Police commissioner T Suneel Kumar has said that eight deputy commissioners, 20 assistant commissioners, 100 inspectors, 35 platoons of Karnataka Reserve Police, 50 platoons of City Armed Reserve and 10 platoons of Central Armed Police Forces, a dog squad and other police personnel have been deployed.
It is also learnt that the floor test for the Congress-JD(S) coalition government will be held on Friday, May 25. The speakers’ nomination will be held on May 24.
