“I take responsibility for defeat”: Nikhil on Mandya LS loss

PTI, May 31, 2019, 6:07 PM IST

Mandya: Breaking his silence over his loss in the Mandya Lok Sabha seat, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil Kumaraswamy Friday greeted Sumalatha Ambareesh who defeated him by a margin of over 1.25 lakh votes.

He also took “entire responsibility” for the defeat.

Nikhil, the grandson of JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, had lost to the BJP backed independent Sumalatha, a film actress and widow of late popular actor-turned-politician Ambareesh.

For almost a week, Nikhil had not made any public statement other than thanking the voters of Mandya and his party workers who toiled for him in the election.

However, on Friday, the third generation of the Gowda clan wrote a long post on his Facebook page where he took the responsibility for his defeat.

“As a JD(S) candidate, I am responsible for my party’s defeat from Mandya in this election. I won’t blame anybody for it.

Instead of giving explanation for trailing in the election, I take the entire responsibility for the defeat,” Nikhil said.

While promising the voters of Mandya that he will not leave them, he sought Sumalatha’s intervention to bail out farmers of the state suffering due to drought.

People of the state have seen how the Centre did not give necessary support forcing them to run from pillar to post, Nikhil claimed.

“Since the party which supported you (Sumalatha) is ruling at the Centre, may you succeed in your effort to avail the benefits of central schemes to the people of Mandya,” Nikhil said in his message.

Nikhil also greeted the four MPs from Karnataka on their being included in the union cabinet.

He concluded his message with greetings to all party workers who worked for him in the election.