‘Swallowing pain like Shiva’: Tearful Kumaraswamy on coalition with Congress

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Saturday broke down in tears while expressing his unhappiness at the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in the state during an event in Bengaluru.

Addressing JDS workers, Kumaraswamy, with tears in his eyes, said that he was swallowing the “pain” of running the coalition government with the Congress like Lord Shiva, who swallowed poison to protect all the living beings.

“You all are happy that one of your brothers has become the Chief Minister. But I am not happy. I am swallowing my pain like Vishakanta (the one who held poison in his throat, Lord Shiva),” Kumaraswamy said during an event organised by JD(S) workers to felicitate him for becoming the chief minister.

#WATCH: Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy breaks down at an event in Bengaluru; says 'You are standing with bouquets to wish me, as one of your brother became CM & you all are happy, but I'm not. I know the pain of coalition govt. I became Vishkanth&swallowed pain of this govt' (14.07) pic.twitter.com/cQ8f90KkFT

— ANI (@ANI) July 15, 2018

The Congress and the JD(S) had stitched a post-poll alliance to form the government in the southern state after the BJP failed to cross the majority mark. Soon after Kumaraswamy’s swearing-in, several reports claimed rift between the allies over few issues.

This was not the first time when Kumaraswamy had expressed his unhappiness at the coalition government. He had, on many occasions, said that people of Karnataka didn’t bless him with a clear mandate and he was chief minister of the state on the mercy of Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

The remarks of the JD-S leader came days after he presented his maiden budget in the Karnataka Assembly. In the budget, Kumaraswamy tried to balance the interests of both coalition partners by waiving farm loans, promised by his party and continued several schemes of previous Siddaramaiah-led Congress government.