Kumaraswamy hints at quitting before his term ends in October

Amidst the uncertainty over transfer of power from JD (S) to BJP in Karnataka, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said he might quit his post much before the completion of his 20-month term in October.

“I will resign before October if the farmers’ suicides in the state continue”, Kumaraswamy said while addressing a public meeting at Tumkur near here. “I am not reacting casually to the increasing instances of farmers’ suicides. I am serious about the matter”, said the Chief Minister.

Kumaraswamy’s statement came hours after a 46-year-old coconut grower in Nellikere village of Tumkur district was found hanging from the ceiling of his house on Saturday night, adding to the growing tally of farmers ending their lives in Karnataka unable to clear their debts.

The Chief Minister, however, blamed the Congress party for the pathetic condition of farmers in the State. “The Congress party, which ruled the State for more than 40 years, had left everyone helpless. Even as a Chief Minister, I am helpless in solving many problems faced by the farmers. Congress leaders want me to deliver in 15 months what they failed in 40 years”, he said.

The spate of farmers’ suicides reflected poorly on the governance, he said and added that his Government’s decision to waive agricultural loans had not helped the farmers substantially. “I do not want to stick to the Chief Minister’s post as I did not assume it by your mandate, but by circumstances. I desire to be the Chief Minister by winning people’s mandate”, he added.
Kumaraswamy said the exorbitant rate of interest charged by private money-lenders, particularly in rural areas, has made the lives of farmers miserable. Several farmers including the 46-year-old coconut grower Keshavamurthy had ended their lives unable to withstand the pressure from banks and money-lenders