Anitha faces bribery charge

BENGALURU: Every time chief minister H D Kumaraswamy speaks about his health at a public rally, he tends to let his emotions run away with him. It inevitably draws flak from the opposition. On Friday, Kumaraswamy made an emotional speech at a rally in Malavalli in Mandya district and instantly drew criticism from BJP state president and former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, who was also criss-crossing the district.The two traded barbs as they campaigned all day in Mandya and Ramanagara “I might not live for very long,” Kumaraswamy said. “I was lucky to have survived in Israel when I went there on a study tour last year. But as long as I am alive, I will do everything possible to serve you all,’’ Kumaraswamy said. The CM went on to say: “I will not reveal what really transpired in Israel.”Party sources say Kumaraswamy suffered a heart attack — his second — during the visit to Israel ahead of the assembly elections in Karnataka . He returned home after undergoing treatment. Only his close aides and family were privy to the news.At Malavalli on Friday, Kumaraswamy said he did not become chief minister to make money.“I don’t know for how many days I will live, but with the reins of power in hand, I will strive to give life to as many poor people as possible in the state,” he said.Responding to this, Yeddyurappa, at a rally in Maddur said, Kumaraswamy should stop making emotional speeches about his health and should instead focus on developmental work and providing good governance.“There is anarchy in the state as people are suffering. Developmental work has come to a standstill,” Yeddyurappa said. “Your emotional speeches won’t affect the people as they are already in distress.”Yeddyurappa also accused Kumaraswamy of doing sweet nothing to develop Mandya, although the district gave rebirth to his political career and made him CM.“Though I was born in Mandya, I was not elected even once (from here),” Yeddyurappa said. “But still, as CM, I released crores of rupees for the development of Mandya including to revive two sugar factories which were on the verge of closure.”Countering the former chief minister’s accusations, Kumaraswamy said Mandya’s farmers are the biggest beneficiaries of his mega loan waiver scheme.“When I presented the budget soon after I formed the government, BJP leaders called it ‘Mandya budget’. But now suddenly they have developed sympathy for the people of Mandya,” Kumaraswamy said.At another rally, Yeddyurappa urged former PM H D Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy to tender a public apology for insulting the Valmiki community by not receiving the Maharishi Valmiki award.With just a week to go for polling, campaigning in the Ramanagara assembly segment reached a feverish pitch.C P Yogeshwar, BJP leader and former minister, who campaigned for BJP candidate L Chandrashekar, on Friday targeted Anitha Kumaraswamy, alleging that she received bribes to facilitate transfers and postings of officials in Ramanagara.Anitha rejected Yogeshwar’s allegations outright.“It is Yogeshwar’s culture. I will not stoop to such a low level,” she said.