HD Kumaraswamy took oath as the Karnataka chief minister on Wednesday. (PTI)
Highlights
- Historic to see so many leaders come for the swearing-in: Kumaraswamy
- HD Kumaraswamy took oath as Chief Minister of Karnataka on Wednesday
- Chief Ministers of non-BJP states attended swearing-in ceremony
Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy --
who turned his oath ceremony into a huge opposition conclave with the hope that it would take on the BJP in 2019 -- did not pull any punches regarding the party on Wednesday.
"The BJP used me 12 years ago," he told reporters after taking oath. "I said after the Uttar Pradesh election that my aim is to tie the Ashwamedha horse of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah... The Congress and the JD(S) have caught and tied the Ashwamedha horse... A lifeless horse may go to Modi soon," he added. According to ancient Indian traditions, an Ashwamedha horse was released by a sovereign to assert his claim on new lands. Capturing it was taken as a challenge to the king's power, which led to a battle.
The 58-year-old was candid about the gathering where he had brought together leaders who had been political rivals for years - like Trinamool Congress' Mamata Banerjee and CPM leader Sitaram Yechury; or Mayawati and Sonia Gandhi.
"It is historic to see so many leaders come for the swearing in of a Chief Minister... The leaders have not come here to support me, but to give a message that there will be a big change in 2019," he said. "They said it is important to join hands with the Congress to save the country".
For regional leaders like Ms Banerjee, Chandrababu Naidu, Tejashwi Yadav or
Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati, the Congress' taking a backseat in Karnataka heralds the possibility of a new equation with India's oldest party.
Mr Kumaraswamy said on Tuesday night he had a conversation with Ms Banerjee. The Bengal Chief Minister, who has been consistently underscoring the importance of regional parties, was one of the first to congratulate Janata Dal Secular chief HD Deve Gowda on the alliance with the Congress to take on the BJP.
"She advised me how we work out future politics in this county," said Mr Kumaraswamy. The JD(S) leader who had a conversation with her after his party was invited to form the government after BJP's BS Yeddyurappa stepped down from Chief Ministership ahead of Saturday's trust vote.