"Has a patent on crying," says Kumaraswamy
Bengaluru, Nov 28: Former Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday said his family has got a patent on crying as he took objection to Union minister D V Sadananda Gowda's comment that shedding tears during election was their family business.
"I will say that our family has a patent over it (shedding tears). Ours is a life of emotions and tears are an expression of pain in our hearts, Kumaraswamy told reporters at Hunsur.
While campaigning for the JD(S) candidate contesting the assembly bypoll, Kumaraswamy burst into tears at Kikkeri in KR Pet segment on Wednesday, saying people of Mandya had deserted him by defeating his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy in the Lok Sabha election earlier this year.
Commenting on Kumaraswamy turning emotional, Sadananda Gowda had cautioned people against the "flood of tears."
He said the flood caused by tears is more dangerous than the flood that ravaged 22 districts of Karnataka in August and October.
The union minister even termed that shedding tears during election is the tradition of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda's family.
Dear Sadananda Gowda, I don’t know how to cry applying Vicks or glycerine. I cry when I see the poor people in tears, Kumaraswamy said.
He challenged Sadananda Gowda to explain how many flood-hit people did he assist.
How many poor people come to your house and how many of them secured any relief from you? Come to our house or send your intelligence team from the Centre.
Even after 70 years of independence, there are people coming to us without food and clothes. When I see them I get upset, Kumaraswamy said.
"Sadananda Gowda had said in his statement that people earlier used to watch drama for 100 days or 200 days.
Yes, you will say so because you come from the region where dramas are played, said Kumaraswamy commenting on the coastal Karnataka region where the minister hails from and where Yaksha Gana form of classical dance-drama is popular.
State Tourism minister C T Ravi too called Kumaraswamy an accomplished actor while taking a jibe at the JD(S) leader for shedding tears while campaigning.
"Film actors too do not tear up without glycerine though it is their profession. Only an accomplished actor can shed tears without it," he said.
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Fully confident of winning bypolls to 2 Assembly constituencies in Karnataka: CM Siddaramaiah
Davangere (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday asserted that he was one hundred per cent confident that Congress will win by-polls to two Assembly Constituencies in the state, claiming the BJP will face defeat, similar to what they experienced in earlier byelections.
He also played down the disgruntlement among the other ticket aspirants in the Congress, saying that everyone will be convinced and come together to ensure the party's victory.
Bypolls for the Bagalkot and Davanagere South Assembly constituencies will be held on April 9. The polls were necessitated following the deaths of senior Congress MLAs H Y Meti and Shamanur Shivashankarappa, respectively.
"I'm one hundred per cent confident that we will win both seats. BJP may claim that they will win, but where have they won? They had made similar claims in the previous bypolls, didn't we defeat sons of former CMs Basavaraj Bommai and H D Kumaraswamy?" Siddaramaiah asked in response to a question.
Speaking to reporters here, he said the BJP may claim things, but the Congress government has fulfilled its promises and walked the talk by implementing five guarantee schemes.
"People of the state are in our (Congress) favour. We have proved it in the previous byelections. People, including Dalits, backward class people, poor, farmers and minorities -- all of them are with us," he added.
When questioned about claims by some BJP leaders that the bypoll results would indicate the outcome of the 2028 Assembly polls in the state, the CM asked, "When they won't win, what indicator is that?"
"We are in power, we won three by-elections earlier, and I'm confident that we will win these by-elections too," he added.
Congress in November 2024 had swept the by-polls to three Assembly constituencies -- Sandur, Shiggaon and Channapatna.
Responding to a question, Siddaramaiah claimed that the BJP will face defeat in all four states -- Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and the union territory of Puducherry -- which are going for polls.
After several rounds of discussion amid stiff competition for the party tickets, Congress on Sunday announced Umesh Meti and Samarth Mallikarjun as the party candidates for Assembly by-polls to Bagalkot and Davangere South assembly constituencies, respectively.
The Congress gave tickets to family members of the late legislators in both constituencies. While Umesh Meti is the son of H Y Meti, Samarth Mallikarjun is the grandson of Shamanur Shivashankarappa.
Expressing confidence that the disgruntlement within the party, following candidate selection, especially in the Davangere South constituency, will be resolved, the CM said, adding that the candidate selection was a unanimous decision by the party.
Pointing out that ticket aspirant Sadiq Pailwan has announced he will contest as a rebel in Davangere South, he said, "We will try and convince him."
When asked whether Muslims would be compensated, Siddaramaiah said, "Nothing has been discussed, but we will try to give representation to minorities."
There was a strong demand from Muslims for the Davangere South ticket, as the community has a significant presence in the constituency. Some factions within Congress had opposed giving the ticket to the Shamanur family.
