Will become Karnataka CM again before 2028, says HD Kumaraswamy
Mandya (Karnataka), Oct 19: Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday asserted that he would become the Chief Minister of Karnataka once again before 2028.
He also predicted the fall of the Congress government due to dissatisfaction within the party.
"It is certain that this government won't last until 2028. I am confident that the people will give me another opportunity, and I will become Chief Minister again," the Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries told reporters here.
Kumaraswamy headed the coalition government twice as Chief Minister -- from February 2006 to October 2007 and from May 2018 to July 2019.
"The opportunity to become CM will come before 2028. I am not a fortune-teller, but I am saying this," he added.
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He reposed faith in the people who would help realise his dream.
"If the people wish, why shouldn't I become the Chief Minister? Even now, I am appealing to the people to give me a five-year term as Chief Minister," the JD(S) second-in-command said.
He rued that his previous stint as Chief Minister of Karnataka for 14 months was under 'someone else's influence'.
"Even though the government was run under another party’s influence, the people have not forgotten the pro-people programmes we implemented."
The Minister said if given an opportunity, he will do excellent work and no family should have to beg for survival.
Kumaraswamy alleged that money is being looted in the state and the government assets are being seized. If this is stopped, the government can implement programmes where people earn at least Rs 10,000 instead of receiving just Rs 2,000 from the government.
He also predicted the fall of the Congress government in the state.
According to him, the squabbling would lead to its collapse.
"The Congress government here won't last longer. The people of the state and the MLAs of that party will be the ones to topple it," the Minister said.
Kumaraswamy claimed that there is a growing dissatisfaction among the Congress MLAs.
"We don’t know when it will explode, but let’s wait and watch," he added.
Kumaraswamy, however, clarified that the unified opposition of BJP and the JD(S) were not trying to topple their government.
"It's their MLAs who are destabilising the foundation of this government."
Due to the government's lack of allocation of funds for development, MLAs are unable to visit villages and meet the people, he pointed out.
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Marxism will remain relevant despite Left electoral's losses, says general secretary M A Baby
New Delhi (PTI): CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby on Thursday asserted that the Left movement would remain relevant despite not being in power in any state, saying the ideology would continue to endure as long as social and economic inequalities persist.
Hitting back at BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar over his reported remarks that Marxism had become irrelevant, Baby, in an interview with PTI Videos, said, "So long as there is division in society, so long as there is exploitation of the majority of workers, peasants and ordinary masses by a handful of billionaires, Marxism will remain relevant."
"That perhaps Mr Rajeev Chandrasekhar may not be able to understand, but this is the fact of the matter," he said.
Baby acknowledged that the CPI(M)-led Left was currently without an elected government in any state, but maintained that electoral setbacks would not diminish the movement's role.
"We may not have an elected government in any state. There were occasions when we didn't have a government. But the red flag and the commitment to organise and struggle for the rights of the dispossessed, marginalised and exploited will always be upheld by CPI(M) and the Left movement," he said.
He said the Left continued to enjoy support among workers, peasants, agricultural labourers, youth, students and women, and argued that the movement remained necessary because "oppression and assault" continued in society.
"So long as such problems exist in society, the red flag and the working class movement will continue to work among the masses," the Left leader said.
Exuding confidence on the Left's revival, Baby said the party would reflect on the reasons behind its electoral loss.
"We may be rejected in one election, but we will stage our comeback by understanding what went wrong with us," he said, adding, "We will listen to people and we will come back with higher strength."
Baby also criticised the Congress over reported factional tensions in Kerala after the Congress-led United Democratic Front's victory in the state.
"The way they are behaving is being watched by the people of Kerala," he said, referring to infighting within the Congress.
"Those who have given a massive majority to Congress and UDF would be watching all this," he added, while urging party leaders to "settle the problem in an amicable, democratic manner".
Referring to West Bengal, Baby alleged that violence had escalated following the BJP's victory in the state assembly polls.
"It is quite unfortunate that the moment BJP snatched a massive victory in West Bengal, violence has also started on a big scale," he said.
He also accused the Trinamool Congress of being "notorious for violent activities" and alleged that the "RSS-controlled BJP" had "unleashed violence in many places" after the election results.
"This is not good for Bengal, not good for the country. We wish and hope that normalcy would be restored as soon as possible," he said.
Baby said the CPI(M) and the Left in West Bengal would continue efforts to "pacify people" and avoid violence and confrontation.
Asked about former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan not reacting publicly to the election results, Baby said Vijayan would respond "at an appropriate time".
