Kumaraswamy cries 'Congress destroyed my goodwill'; claims 'Would be CM if I'd chosen BJP'

Speaking to reporters in Mysuru on Saturday evening, JD(S) leer and ex-Karnataka minister HD Kumaraswamy said that joining hands with Congress has destroyed goodwill that he h earned. He also claimed that he would have continued to be Chief Minister h he allied with BJP. Moreover, he said that he agreed to form a coalition government with Congress because of insistence of party supremo and his far HD Deve Gowda. He, however, clarified that he was t blaming Gowda for fate of his government and he respects his far's "lifelong commitment towards secular identity."

Kumaraswamy ded that he fell into "trap" and accused Congress leer Siddaramaiah of a conspiracy, as he stated that even BJP h t "betrayed" him to that level. " goodwill that I h earned from people of state in 2006-07 (as CM) and which I h maintained for 12 years despite big campaign against me for t transferring power to BJP, everything got destroyed by joining hands with Congress. I might have been Chief Minister till w if I h chosen BJP."

Slamming Siddaramaiah he said, "y (Congress) said that my politics was Taj Westend Hotel politics. But y cheated us. y me strategies against me and to bring me down from CM chair. Siddaramaiah doesn't need to speak about my party, better let him concentrate on his own politics."

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JDS with BJP and Congress

BJP and JDS h formed a coalition government in 2006 with Kumaraswamy as Chief Minister and Yediyurappa as his deputy, under a power-sharing formula of 20 months each. However, government h collapsed as JDS did t transfer power to BJP, which later went on to win next assembly elections and form its first-ever government in south. Similarly in 2018, JDS allied with Congress but on 23 July, 2019, his 14-month-old government fell, after 17 of its legislators resigned and were eventually disqualified under anti-defection laws. In Lok Sabha polls, alliance of JDS and Congress won one seat each while BJP won 25 out of total 28 seats in state, after which it anunced ir breakup. This h come after constant griping at each or, which h even witnessed a tearful Kumaraswamy express his regret about having drunk from poisoned chalice of coalition government.

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