Karnataka CM in ‘pain’ to run coalition government

Bengaluru: In a clear indication that all was not well with the alliance partner Congress, a beleaguered Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has admitted that he was in ‘pain’ every day in running over a year-old coalition government.
“I can’t tell you the pain. From outside I may be the CM (chief minister). Every day I’m going through pain, but I ask you who’ll solve the problems of the people,” said Kumaraswamy at an interaction with the people in Ramanagaram, about 40km southwest of Bengaluru towards Mysuru on Tuesday.
Kumaraswamy represents the silk weaving town in the state assembly.
Though Kumaraswamy contested and won from the high-profile Ramanagaram as well as the adjacent Channapatna in the May 2018 assembly elections, he retained the former and got his wife K. Anitha elected from the latter in a by-election in November.
Asserting that there was no threat to his government and that he would complete its remaining 4-year term despite differences with the ally over several issues, the Chief Minister sought to blame the BJP for creating uncertainty and attempting to destabilise his ministry by wooing the ruling allies’ legislators to defect to the saffron fold.
“Though you all are happy that I became the chief minister, I am not because I know the pain of heading a coalition government and running it despite pulls and pressures from all sides,” he said.