No one knows what developments will take place after 2023 poll results: HD Kumaraswamy

India

pti-PTI

Bengaluru, Aug 18:
Recalling
the
turn
of
events
which
led
to
his
party
and
Congress
joining
hands
to
form
a
coalition
government
in
Karnataka
after
the
2018
assembly
polls,
JD(S)
leader
H
D
Kumaraswamy
on
Thursday
said
no
one
knows
what
developments
would
take
place
post
the
2023
election
results.

The
former
Chief
Minister
said
this
after
a
Vokkaliga
community
event
here,
in
which
he
shared
the
stage
with
State
Congress
president
D
K
Shivakumar,
who
cryptically
spoke
about
his
Chief
Ministerial
aspirations
and
sought
the
community’s
support.

Kumaraswamy
and
Shivakumar
are
influential
leaders
from
the
Vokkaliga
community,
which
has
predominant
presence
in
the
old
Mysuru
or
southern
Karnataka
region.

”I’m
in
my
own
struggle
(political),
we
will
put
in
our
party’s
effort,
you
put
in
yours.
Who
knows
God
will
give
power
to
whom…
No
one
knows
what
developments
will
take
place
after
the
poll
results,” Kumaraswamy
said
in
response
to
a
question
on
whether
he
would
stand
in
support
of
Shivakumar
if
the
situation
arises.

Speaking
to
reporters
here,
he
said
the
Congress
leaders,
in
the
2018
poll
campaign,
had
appealed
to
people
to
not
vote
for
JD(S),
alleging
that
it
was
BJP’s
‘B
team’,
and
thereby
ensured
the
regional
party
doesn’t
get
community
(minority/Muslim)
votes.
”…but,
we
(JDS)
joined
hands
with
the
same
Congress
after
the
polls.
Who
knows
what
will
happen
in
the
next
election.
Let
the
election
result
come,
we
will
discuss
it
after
that,”
he
added.

Responding
to
a
question
on
Shivakumar’s
Chief
Ministerial
aspirations,
Kumaraswamy
said
it
is
not
in
his
hands,
and
noted
that,
for
it
to
happen
he
has
to
”overtake”
Siddaramaiah,
who
is
another
aspirant
for
the
post,
in
case
the
Congress
comes
to
power.

”Will
he
(Siddaramaiah)
let
him
(Shivakumar)
become
the
Chief
Minister
so
easily?”
he
asked.

Siddaramaiah
(Congress
Legislature
Party
leader)
and
Shivakumar
are
nursing
ambitions
for
the
top
post
in
the
event
of
Congress
coming
to
power,
and
are
involved
in
a
game
of
political
oneupmanship.
Asked
if
would
join
hands
with
Shivakumar
in
case
there
is
a
possibility
of
him
becoming
the
Chief
Minister,
he
said,
”They
(Shivakumar
and
Congress)
already
feel
that
they
have
got
a
clear
majority.”

Congress
rules
out
any
coalition
for
Karnataka
polls

Earlier,
speaking
at
the
event
that
was
attended
by
Voikkaliga
community
seers
—
Nirmalanandanatha
Mahaswamiji
of
the
Adichunchanagiri
Mahasamsthana
Math
and
Nanjavadutha
Swamiji
of
Spatikapuri
Mutt
—
Shivakumar
spoke
about
his
aspirations
and
sought
the
community’s
support.

”Lots
of
opportunities
will
come
in
the
days
to
come.
I
will
leave
it
to
your
discretion.
I
have
told
seers
with
folded
hands
to
welcome
‘Lakshmi’
(Goddess
of
wealth)
who
is
about
to
come
to
your
doorstep
in
the
form
of
light,
it
is
left
to
them
to
welcome
or
not,” he
said.

”I
will
talk
about
politics
next
time…there
is
an
ambition
to
give
strong
leadership
to
the
community
and
create
an
impressive
mark,
need
your
blessings…D
K
Shivakumar
is
your
son,
you
have
stood
by
me
during
my
difficult
times,
I’m
sure
that
you
will
stand
by
me
in
the
future
too,”
he
added.

Shivakumar,
too,
had
earlier
sought
the
community’s
backing
for
him
to
become
the
Chief
Minister.

Referring
to
him
being
the
only
Vokkaliga
to
be
the
KPCC
president
after
S
M
Krishna
(who
later
went
on
to
become
Chief
Minister),
Shivakumar,
while
citing
the
example
of
how
Dalits
would
want
one
of
their
own
to
become
the
Chief
Minister,
had
recently,
said:
”Every
community
has
self-respect.
Let
our
community
come
together.”