Former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy turned emotional on Wednesday, recalling the defeat of his son Nikhil in the Lok Sabha elections. He was in the taluk campaigning for JD(S) candidate B L Devaraju.

Addressing the public at Kikkeri, he could not control his tears and said, “Why should I be in power when I have lost the love and affection of the people of Mandya? It is meaningless after the people here let me down. I had not slept peacefully even for a day during the coalition government. I was treated like a slave. What mistake did I commit, for you people to let me down,” he asked.

He clarified that he was not shedding tears because his son Nikhil lost. “I turn emotional seeing the status of the women in the district, and tears come to my eyes. Is waiving the farm loans a mistake, for you to punish me?” he said.

Commenting on BJP candidate and disqualified MLA Narayana Gowda, Kumaraswamy said, “A few told me not to issue a ticket to him in 2013, calling him ‘Bombay kalla’. In 2018, I issued him a ticket, despite opposition from my father (H D Deve Gowda). When I was busy preparing budget, he received money from BJP,” he said.

Clarifying about his statement on BJP, Kumaraswamy said, “I had never said the BJP government will be stable. I had said that the government will be stable, but not which government. After December 9, all will know which government,” he said.

Targeting Yediyurappa, he said, “It would have been understandable if the CM had said that he will sacrifice his life for the flood-hit people. But he has been saying this about disqualified MLAs. I started the village stay programme in North Karnataka. The Congress and BJP leaders, who thought they will be in trouble if this continues, ensured that the government toppled,” he said.