A regional party on the lines of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu is the need of the hour, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has said.
Speaking to reporters after offering pooja atop BR Hills before he proceeded to Badagalamole for a night stay, he expressed disappointment over the Centre’s stance regarding the State. “The Union government has forgotten there is a state called Karnataka,” he said.
Asked what was the solution to the problem, he said: “The only solution is to bring a regional party to power. People of the State should create this situation,” he said.
The chief minister is scheduled to participate in the National Development Council meeting on May 29 in New Delhi. Asked if he would speak about issues of farmers in the State, he said: “That will not yield anything.”
“I will call a meeting of farmers and experts by next month to take some concrete steps pertaining to farmers’ suicide. Let farmers decide what will help them avoid taking the extreme step. The government will act accordingly,” he said.
On the recent suicide by Alur Somanna, a farmer and JD(S) worker, the CM said: “I have read his suicide note. He committed suicide with the hope that his children will benefit from this. What can I do? I can only help his children now.”
“My visit to Chamarajanagar has paid off well. We are here to overlook implementation of some Rs 300-Rs 400 crore worth of projects on Monday. I am eager to meet the people. Badagalamole is a living example of what elected representatives and officers can do together. They have given an excellent facelift to the village in just 20 days. I have known issues in villages from close corners during my village stays.”
‘Sticking to word’
Earlier in Mangalore, the chief minister said he would “stick to his word” on the transfer of power from the JD (S) to the BJP.
Answering a query on Labour Minister Iqbal Ansari’s statement that JD (S) would not transfer power to BJP, he said, “It is not the right platform to answer. But, I’ll keep my word on power transfer.”