NEW DELHI:
HD Kumaraswamy
, a two-time chief minister and five-time MLA from the JD(S), on Sunday took oath as
Union minister
in the
Modi government 3.0
. Kumaraswamy bagged the position despite the
JDS j
joining the BJP-led NDA only last year.
The 64-year-old Vokkaliga leader has openly expressed his ambition to become the agriculture minister. By winning the Mandya Lok Sabha seat, Kumaraswamy has not only reclaimed the JDS’s lost stronghold but also proven that the party remains a significant player in Karnataka politics through its alliance with the BJP.
Kumaraswamy defeated Venkataramane Gowda of the Congress by a margin of 2,84,620 votes.
Kumaraswamy, who is also the state JDS president, had hoped for a hung verdict in the 2023 assembly polls, which would allow him to emerge as a kingmaker or even a ‘king’ for the third time. However, his aspirations were shattered by his party’s poor performance and the Congress’s decisive victory. Faced with the necessity of keeping his party afloat and maintaining political relevance in the state, Kumaraswamy once again joined forces with the BJP to form an alliance before the Lok Sabha polls.
Kumaraswamy’s first passion was films, and he was drawn to cinema since his college days. He ventured into filmmaking and distribution, producing several successful Kannada films. In 2018, he famously said, “I will be the king and not the kingmaker,” and his words came true as he became the chief minister for the second time, despite the JDS finishing third in the polls. However, his tenure was short-lived, as the coalition government with the Congress collapsed after 13 months.
Kumaraswamy’s pro-farmer and rural-friendly initiatives, such as farm loan waivers and the ‘gram vastavya’ project, earned him popularity during his tenure as CM. He is a science graduate, and his wife Anitha is a former MLA.
(With PTI inputs)
