Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (DC)
Bengaluru, May 25: Opposition leader of the Karnataka assembly B S Yeddyurappa on Friday May 25 warned the Kumaraswamy-led coalition government to waive farm loans within 24 hours or face state-wide bandh on May 28.
Speaking to reporters, Yeddyurappa said that JD(S) leader Kumarswamy had promised to waive farm loans worth Rs 53,000 crore, including those borrowed from nationalised banks. "It was you (Kumaraswamy who had promised waiving farm loans within 24 hours (after assuming office). The farmers will not be ready to buy your stories that you head a coalition government and it has its own compulsions. You have to announce it in this special session itself. Else, we will prepare an action plan to launch our agitation across the state," he said.
"We will hold a state-wide bandh on May 28, if chief minister H D Kumaraswamy doesn’t waive off farmer loans," Yeddyurappa said before BJP's walkout at the assembly. BJP leader R Ashoka too said, "We walked out on the issue on farmers' loan waivers. We will hold state-wide bandh May 28. We will be aggressive now."
Yeddyurappa refused to comment on the Congress and said that the BJP's struggle was mainly against the "anti-farmer, anti-people and corrupt government of Kumaraswamy."
He further targeted the JD(S) and quoted JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda's grandson Prajwal's recent reported remark that no work happens without "suitcase" in the party. "Corruption during the JD(S) government will only continue and nobody will bother to protect the interests of people. Irrigation will not get priority. Under these circumstances, it is my duty as an opposition to continue our struggle to protect the interests of people," said Yeddyurappa.
Meanwhile, newly sworn-in Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy-led Congress-JDS alliance government won the crucial trust vote on Friday. Just ahead of the floor test, BJP MLAs staged a walk out of the State Legislative Assembly paving way for an easy win for the HD Kumaraswamy-led coalition government in Karnataka. 117 MLAs voted in favour of the ruling alliance led by Kumaraswamy.
The floor test has brought an end to the 10-day political uncertainty in the state that began after the state gave a fractured mandate in the assembly elections. While the Congress has 78 MLAs, Kumaraswamy's JDS has 37 seats, along with two independent candidates. Kumaraswamy had won from two constituencies. After a high drama, the 58-year-old Kumaraswamy was sworn-in as CM at a grand assembly of leaders of non-BJP parties on Thursday.