Bengaluru: HD Kumaraswamy, the two-time chief minister of Karnataka and leader of the Janata Dal (Secular), has been told by astrologers that his planetary positions are good – meaning he is looking forward to a third term in the chief minister’s office. In an exclusive interview with ThePrint’s DK Singh and Sharan Poovanna, Kumaraswamy says the upcoming Karnataka assembly election results will spring a surprise, and explains why. Edited excerpts:
SP: How do you see the elections so far for you?
HDK: (In) Especially in the 2023 elections, many surprising results can come. The focus is only on the Congress and the BJP, who are publicly claiming that they will win 140 seats on their own. But their surveys are not based on the ground reality. I am the only politician who has visited more than 106 constituencies, visiting 60-70 villages in each constituency in the last five months. National parties did not take the pulse of the people seriously, which I took. They (BJP and Congress) have not given good administration but can win by throwing money. That’s why I told you that Kannadigas will bring amazing results. They will show amazing results to the country.
DK: No matter how many seats you win, your vote share has always been in the range of 18-20 per cent. What makes you so optimistic?
HDK: I am not analyzing these issues on an optimistic basis. Vote share in the last three elections – 2004, 2008, 2013 and 2018 – there is little change in vote share. We have analyzed all this and rectified our mistakes. Even though we got 19 per cent vote share, we lost 25-30 constituencies by a margin of 400-5,000 votes. In those constituencies, if we had worked properly, we would have been able to get them. The rough polls (campaigns) we conducted have now undergone a change, modifying our approach to the people and keeping in mind the current political equations. A year back we selected 95 candidates and they are working in villages, living there and on the ground.
DK: You didn’t change any of these candidates!
HDK: In some constituencies we have changed candidates and have new faces too, but only after vetting their background, after gaining confidence that the selected candidate will live up to our expectations. This has given us absolute power in those constituencies. Why were we stuck at 18-19 per cent vote share earlier? Wherever we won, we won by a margin of 30,000-50,000. That was the situation. Where we lost, we got only 3,000-4,000 votes. And the state’s vote share averaged 18 percent. This time our vote share will increase by 100 percent.
DK: You are seen as a Vokkaliga party with a limited social support base…
HDK: Till last year we were seen like this. After the Pancharatna and Janta Jaladhare campaigns, we expanded our strength from southern to northern parts and gained strength. This time we have good candidates who were rejected by both the national parties. We have caught them. (In) more than 28 constituencies we have given tickets to such people and this will help us this time. According to our teamwork, we can get additional 30-35 seats from North Karnataka.
SP: BJP trying to break Vokkaliga vote bank with increase in reservation or new twist with Uri Gowda-Nanje Gowda…
HDK: It has failed and turned upside down. What the BJP government has filed before the Supreme Court… It is the opposite of not only Vokkaligas, but also Lingayats. The issue of Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda will not work. Such small issues, names they are raising and giving an emotional story to those names – they succeeded in Rajasthan and UP. not here
DK: You went with BJP in 2006 and it gave an opening to BJP and laid the foundation of what it has become today. Do you have any regrets?
HDK: I do not regret that incident. Because I also benefited and our party also got stronger. I got some goodwill at that time because of my leadership and shaking hands with those people. And because of that my party has survived. I don’t regret it, nor do I regret it. But this is an old matter and I want to forget all those things.
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DK: Hypothetically, if you need to forge an alliance with either the Congress or the BJP, would you have any objection against both?
HDK: This hypothetical issue will not arise. People are fed up with the present BJP government and are not happy. People are angry with the way Congress is working. People want an alternative to both the national parties. They want to pick JD(S) this time, give us a chance. This is his line of thinking. Because despite not getting a clear majority, we have done some good work by forging an alliance with both the parties. People are remembering that work.
DK: How are the prospects of Congress and BJP?
HDK: The BJP of 2006 is different. The BJP of 2023 is different. The BJP of 2006 was very weak and they had no previous experience of running the administration… At that time they were a bit shy to do any illegal work. We controlled it at that time. But the attitude of BJP has changed now.
Our experience with Congress in those 14 months (2018-19) was bad. That’s why we don’t have this dream (alliance). Our dream is to get a clear majority with the blessings of Kannadigas only by forming the government on our own and working very hard.
SP: Who is the biggest threat: Congress or BJP?
HDK: Whether it is Congress or BJP here, it does not matter to us. We are fighting against both the national parties. Karnataka is a stronghold of the Congress and the BJP. Both are our rivals and we are fighting with both.
DK: You have worked with both the national parties. Which is the better alliance partner?
HDK: Both parties are no longer better partners.
SP: PM is taking out about 30 rallies in Karnataka next week. What do you think will be its effect?
HDK: There will be no special change, or transfer of power, in the (BJP) state unit… because people are disappointed with the BJP’s administration. Even Narendra Modi’s attitude towards Kannadigas of Karnataka…for the last many years we are suffering…by doing road shows, he cannot influence or change the mind of the people.
DK: Your father’s biography mentions how in 2018-19 (while heading the Congress-JDS government) the PM asked you to break the alliance and join hands with the BJP.
HDK: He actually advised me to resign and seek fresh votes. Those issues are all over.
DK: We have seen KCR and others coming and meeting you. Efforts are being made to form an anti-BJP alliance at the national level.
HDK: All these issues at the national level will arise only after the 2023 elections. In 2023, there are many states which are going for elections… Telangana, Andhra Pradesh. Only then will things change. We can know for sure about the national political landscape only after the elections. A Third Front (or not).
DK: Are you willing to be part of an anti-BJP or non-BJP, non-Congress coalition?
HDK: We are not thinking of anything anti-BJP or anti-Congress. Our aim is to get a clear majority with the support of Kannadigas. Other issues may just be premature, and I’m not interested in them.
DK: What do you think will be the national impact of the Karnataka elections?
HDK: A message can be sent to the country after the results of the 2023 Karnataka assembly elections are out. The future political system may change depending on the way Karnataka chooses a party.
SP: We have seen PM and senior BJP leadership hitting out at JD(S) over dynasty politics.
HDK: What are they (BJP) doing? He gave tickets to 38 family members (of sitting MLAs or leaders). What morals do they have to criticize us?
SP: It is also true that there was some rift in your family regarding Hasan’s ticket.
HDK: All those issues were created by certain sections. When they got up, I said that there is no dispute and we will sort out the issues smoothly. The ticket distribution happened without any problem and there was no loss to the party.
DK: In the last few weeks, the BJP has moved from Hindutva-driven politics to caste-centric politics in Karnataka.
HDK: First, he tried and failed to push the Hindutva issue. After the Hindutva issue failed, they are trying to raise reservation issues with certain castes and communities. In that also he did not apply his mind properly and failed. Now it boomerangs.
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DK: If you come to power, will you reverse these decisions?
HDK: We will remove the topics that people are unhappy with.
DK: Because Vokkaligas got additional 2 percent quota…
HDK: Vokkaliga demanded 12 per cent. From whom did they take this extra 2 percent? Our community (Vokkaliga) has not taken anything from anyone else. We do not want to usurp their (other communities’) fruits (benefits). We’re not going to grab it. Such is our character and these people are unnecessarily creating trouble. They (BJP) only want to create differences between communities.
SP: How is JD(S) reaching out to other communities like Lingayats?
HDK: We have also given assembly tickets to more than 50 Lingayats, 10 Kurubas… These communities will help these candidates in those constituencies. This is the situation in all parties. We have leaders from all communities, and we respect them all.
SP: Do you think the departure of Jagadish Shettar and Laxman Savadi will affect the BJP?
HDK: People know the latest developments but now people are fed up with the developments of BJP. Even the Yeddyurappa issue…people will not take it seriously anymore. They removed him (as chief minister) and just to get some votes in his name, they are using him temporarily. What will you do to honor Yediyurappa after the assembly elections?
DK: A BJP leader told us that astrologers have told you that after April 28, good days are going to come.
HDK: He’s there. Everyone says everything. They (astrologers) are predicting that Kumaraswamy will become the chief minister. They are not telling anything about how I (Chief Minister) will become. I count on the blessings of Kannadigas to help me in my analysis and government formation.
DK: What are your astrologers’ predictions?
HDK: You are saying that BJP leaders are telling you so. Astrologically, our planetary positions are good right now. But we cannot depend only on the (fact) that our planetary positions are in a strong position and sit quietly at home and we will get majority… If we feel like it and sit at home, we Have to sit permanently. At home only.
SP: You talked about BJP, but what about your equations with Congress leaders like Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar…
HDK: There are many factions in the Congress. I don’t want to elaborate and leave it to them. Our prospects and future will not be affected by any political parties or leaders. Our strength is ours, and theirs is theirs.
(Edited by Tony Rae)