Former Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy turned emotional on Wednesday ruing that the people of Mandya deserted him by defeating his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy in the Lok Sabha election this year.
He was campaigning for the JD(S) candidate B L Devaraju who is contesting the December 5 assembly bypolls from the KR Pet constituency.
The people of Mandya have deserted me. I never wanted my son to contest the election but because of your insistence I fielded him, said Kumaraswamy as he broke down during a public meeting at Kikkeri village in Mandya district.
The KR Pet segment became vacant following the disqualification of K C Narayana Gowda of JDS by the then speaker K R Ramesh Kumar.
In July this year, 17 MLAs were disqualified by Kumar based on the complaint of Congress and JD(S) after their absence and resignation from the assembly during the trust vote leading to the collapse of then H D Kumaraswamy-led government.
After the court allowed the disqualified MLAs to contest the polls, the BJP fielded Gowda from the same seat.
In a choked voice and wiping his tears repeatedly with his handkerchief, Kumaraswamy said I am not crying because of losing power but it is only the expression of the pain I have gone through.
What wrong I have done to the people of the state?