In a veiled attack at the Congress, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Tuesday said that senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge was not given enough recognition for his work by his party.

Mr Kumaraswamy said that Mr Kharge should have been made a Chief Minister long back.

"Mallikarjun Kharge should have become the Chief Minister long ago. I feel that injustice has happened with him. I would like to clearly state that even I feel that Kharge has not been given recognition for all the work he has done," the Chief Minister said while addressing a public rally in Chincholi.

Mr Kharge is a two-time Lok Sabha lawmaker from Gulbarga constituency in Karnataka and is a leader of Congress in Lok Sabha. He had also served as a cabinet minister in the Karnataka Government.

Mr Kumaraswamy was addressing the rally in support of Congress by-election candidate Subhash Rathod from Chincholi assembly seat which will go to polls on May 19.

Congress and Mr Kumaraswamy's JDS stitched an alliance in Karnataka after the state elections last year.