Bengaluru: H.D. Kumaraswamy, the two-time chief minister of Karnataka and Janata Dal (Secular) leader, has been told by astrologers that his planetary position is good — that is, that he can look forward to a third stint in the Chief Minister’s Office. In an exclusive interview with ThePrint’s D.K. Singh and Sharan Poovanna, Kumaraswamy says the results of the upcoming Karnataka assembly election will throw up a surprise, and explains why. Edited excerpts:
SP: How do you see the elections shaping up for you so far?
HDK: (In) the 2023 elections particularly, several surprise results may come. There is focus only on the Congress and the BJP, who are publicly claiming they will win 140 seats on their own. But their surveys are not based on ground reality. I’m the only politician who has travelled to over 106 constituencies, visiting 60-70 villages in each constituency for the past five months. The national parties have not taken the pulse of the people seriously, which I have. They (BJP & Congress) have not given a good administration but can win by throwing money. That’s why I told you there will be surprise results from Kannadigas. They will show surprise results to the country.
DK: Your vote share has always been in the range 18-20 per cent irrespective of the number of seats you win. What makes you so optimistic?
HDK: I am not analysing these issues on optimistic lines. That vote share in the last three elections — 2004, 2008, 2013 and 2018 — there are just small variations in the vote share. We have analysed all this and rectified our lapses. Even though we got 19 per a cent vote share, we lost 25-30 constituencies within a margin of 400-5,000 votes. In those constituencies, had we worked properly, we would have been able to get them. The raw elections (campaigns) we conducted is what we have changed now, modified our outreach to the people and factored in present political equations. One year ago, we selected 95 candidates and they have been working in the villages, staying there, and have been on the ground.
DK: You did not change any of these candidates!
HDK: In some constituencies we changed candidates and there are new faces, but only after scrutinising their background, after getting the confidence that the selected candidate will live up to our expectations. That has given us full strength in those constituencies. Previously, why were we stuck at an 18-19 per cent vote share? Wherever we won, we won with margins of 30,000-50,000. That was the situation. Where we lost, we got just 3,000-4,000 votes. And the state vote share average was 18 per cent. Our vote share will go up this time, 100 per cent.
DK: You are seen as a Vokkaliga party with a limited social support base…
HDK: Till last year, we were seen like that. After the Pancharathna and Janata Jaladhare campaigns, we expanded our strength from the southern to the northern parts and gained strength. This time, we have good candidates who were rejected by both national parties. We have caught them. (In) more than 28 constituencies, we have given such people tickets and that will help us this time. According to our teamwork, we may get 30-35 additional seats from northern Karnataka.
SP: The BJP has been trying to break the Vokkaliga vote bank with an increase in reservation or giving new twists with Uri Gowda-Nanje Gowda…
HDK: That has failed and has boomeranged. What the BJP government filed before the Supreme Court…it has boomeranged not just from Vokkaligas, but also Lingayats. The Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda issue will not work out. These kinds of 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 the BJP in 2006 and that gave an opening to the BJP and laid the foundation for what it has become today. In hindsight, do you have any regrets?
HDK: I’m not going to regret that incident. Because I also gained and our party also became strong. Because of my leadership and joining hands with those people, I got some goodwill at that time. And because of that my party has survived. I have not and do not regret it. But it is an old issue, and I want to forget all those things.
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DK: Hypothetically, if you need to ally with either the Congress or the BJP, would you have any reservations against either?
HDK: This hypothetical issue will not arise. People are fed up with the present BJP government and not happy. The people are disgusted with how the Congress is working. The people want an alternative to both the national parties. They want to choose the JD(S) this time, give us a chance. This is their line of thinking. Because even though we did not get a clear majority, in coalitions with both parties, we have done some good work. People are remembering that work.
DK: How are the prospects of the Congress and the BJP?
HDK: The 2006 BJP is different. The 2023 BJP is different. The 2006 BJP was very weak and they had no previous experience of running the administration… At that time, they were a little bit shy to do any illegal activities. We controlled it at that time. But the BJP’s attitude has changed now.
With the Congress, we had a bad experience in those 14 months (2018-19). So that’s why we don’t have this dream (coalition). Our dream is only to get a clear majority with the blessing of Kannadigas, by forming the government on our own and working very hard.
SP: Who poses a bigger threat: the Congress or the BJP?
HDK: Here, whether it is the Congress or BJP, we are not bothered. We are fighting against both the national parties. In Karnataka, the Congress and the BJP have strongholds. Both are our rivals, and we are fighting both.
DK: You have worked with both national parties. Which one is a better alliance partner?
HDK: Both the parties are not better partners anymore.
SP: The PM is taking out around 30 rallies in the next week in Karnataka. What do you think will be its impact?
HDK: There will be no special change, or transfer of strength to the (BJP) state unit… Because people are disgusted with the BJP’s administration. Even Narendra Modi’s attitude towards Kannadigas, Karnataka…For the past several years, we have been suffering…By conducting roadshows, he can’t influence or change the minds of the people.
DK: In your father’s biography, there is a mention of how in 2018-19 (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 take a fresh vote. Those issues are all over.
DK: We have seen KCR and others coming and meeting you. There is an attempt to stitch up an anti-BJP alliance nationally.
HDK: Nationally, all those issues will arise only after the 2023 elections. In 2023, there are several states that are going for elections… Telangana, Andhra Pradesh. Only after that will things change. We can only know for sure about the national political scenario only after the elections. A Third Front (or not).
DK: Are you willing to be part of an anti-BJP alliance or a non-BJP, non-Congress one?
HDK: We are not thinking about anything about anti-BJP or anti-Congress. Our aim is to get a clear majority with the support of the Kannadigas. Other issues may be premature now, and I am not interested in them.
DK: What according to you will be the national impact of the Karnataka elections?
HDK: After the 2023 Karnataka assembly election results, there may be a message to the country. The way in which Karnataka selects a party, based on that there may be a change in the future political system.
SP: We have seen the PM and senior BJP leadership of the BJP target the JD(S) on dynasty politics.
HDK: What are they (BJP) doing? They gave tickets to 38 family members (of existing MLAs or leaders). What morality do they have to criticise us?
SP: It is also true that there was some discord within your family over the tickets for Hassan.
HDK: All those issues were created by some sections. When they arose, I said that there was no dispute and we would solve issues smoothly. Ticket distribution happened without any problems and with no damage to the party.
DK: In the past few weeks, the BJP has moved from Hindutva-driven politics to caste-centric politics in Karnataka.
HDK: Previously, they tried to force the Hindutva issue and failed. After the Hindutva issue failed, they are trying to raise reservation issues with some castes and communities. In that too, they did not apply their minds properly and failed. Now it is boomeranging.
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DK: If you come to power, will you reverse these decisions?
HDK: Whatever subjects people are unhappy with, we will remove those.
DK: Because Vokkaligas got an additional 2 per cent quota…
HDK: Vokkaligas demanded 12 per cent. This additional 2 per cent, which community did they take it from? Our community (Vokkaligas) has not taken anything from anyone else. We do not want to grab their (other communities) fruit (benefits) We are not going to grab it. Our character is like that and these people are creating problems unnecessarily. They (BJP) just want to create differences between communities.
SP: How is the JD(S) reaching out to other communities like the Lingayats?
HDK: We have also given assembly tickets to more than 50 Lingayats, 10 Kurubas…These communities will help these candidates in those constituencies. The same is the situation in all parties. We have leaders from all communities, and we respect everyone.
SP: Do you think the BJP will be impacted by the departure of Jagadish Shettar and Laxman Savadi?
HDK: People know the latest developments but people are now fed up with the developments of the BJP. Even the Yediyurappa issue…people will not take it up seriously now. They removed him (as CM) and only to get some votes on his name, they are using him temporarily. After the assembly election, what will they do to respect Yediyurappa?
DK: A BJP leader told us that astrologers have told you that there are good days ahead after 28 April.
HDK: That is there. Everybody says everything. They (astrologers) are predicting that Kumaraswamy will become the chief minister. How I will become (the CM) is something they are not stating. I have confidence in my analysis and the blessings of Kannadigas to help form the government.
DK: What are your astrologers’ predictions?
HDK: You are saying that BJP leaders are saying this to you. Astrologically, our planetary positions are good now. But we cannot depend only on (the fact) that our planetary positions are in a strong position and sit quietly in our house and we will get a majority…if we feel like this and sit in the house, then we will permanently have to sit in the house itself.
SP: You spoke about the BJP, but what about your equations with Congress leaders like Siddaramaiah, D.K. Shivakumar…
HDK: There are several groups in the Congress. I don’t want to elaborate on it and leave it to them. Our prospects and future will have no effect on any political parties or leaders. Our strength is ours, and theirs is theirs.
(Edited by Tony Rai)