Kumaraswamy rules out immediate return to Karnataka politics

Union Steel Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Friday dismissed all speculations about his political future, clarifying that he has no intention of returning to Karnataka politics at present. However, he hinted that he would play a more active role in strengthening the Janata Dal (Secular) in the state.

Reacting to reports about his frequent visits to the state, Kumaraswamy said that his repeated visits to Karnataka did not mean he was returning to state politics immediately. He told journalists, "The fact that I am coming to the state does not mean I am returning tomorrow. I am discharging my responsibilities both in the state and at the Centre."

The former Karnataka Chief Minister said that his responsibilities in the Central government remained his top priority. He revealed that as a Lok Sabha member, he still has three years left in his term, and the Centre has assigned him important responsibilities to fulfill.

He said, "I am a Union Minister now, and as a Lok Sabha member, I have three years left in my term. The Centre has given me certain responsibilities, which I am fulfilling. Alongside, I will also be active in strengthening the party in the state."

Kumaraswamy's statement is seen as an attempt to strike a balance between his national responsibilities and his political influence in Karnataka, where the Janata Dal (Secular) is trying to regain its political base after its alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

His statement has also put to rest speculations that he might soon relinquish his post in New Delhi to lead the party's election campaign in the state.

Although he ruled out an immediate return to state politics, he made it clear that reorganizing and strengthening the Janata Dal (Secular) would remain one of his top priorities. His statement is significant as the party is trying to keep the BJP-JD(S) alliance workers united and redefine its role in the alliance ahead of the upcoming elections.

Regarding the proposed Haryur Assembly by-election, Kumaraswamy said that there was pressure from party workers to field a Janata Dal (Secular) candidate, but he clarified that discussions were ongoing with the alliance partner BJP.

He said, "There is pressure from our workers to contest from Haryur. I have discussed the matter with the BJP high command and Haryur leaders. We have time, let's see what happens next."

This statement indicates that no final decision has been made on seat allocation. The Haryur by-election is seen as the first major test of electoral coordination between the BJP and the Janata Dal (Secular), where both parties are working to finalize their election strategy, keeping in mind their political interests in the alliance.

Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Kumaraswamy dismissed as baseless allegations that the Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) had encroached upon forest land. He presented government documents, stating that the relevant land was legally removed from the forest land list in 1960 and was allotted to HMT after obtaining a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Forest Department.

He said, "The Forest Department has no connection with the HMT land, and the state government has no right or claim over it. Those making allegations are free to verify the documents."

Kumaraswamy severely criticized former Forest Minister and current Panchayat Raj Minister Ishwar Khandre, questioning why he was targeting only the HMT land while ignoring large-scale encroachments on forest lands at other locations.

He asked, "As Forest Minister during your three-year tenure, how much forest land did you actually reclaim? There are illegal encroachments on vast areas; answer that first."

The Union Minister alleged that Khandre was treating land, which was legally removed from the forest area nearly six decades ago, as encroachment for political purposes.

Kumaraswamy stated that the HMT land dispute was already sub judice in the Supreme Court. He claimed that when efforts to obtain a revival package for the historic public sector undertaking were in the final stages, a Forest Department officer arbitrarily issued a notice to HMT to vacate the land.

He also criticized the state government, mentioning the Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited (KIOCL), and alleged that despite collecting over Rs 546 crore in revenue from the public sector undertaking, the government had not allowed it to carry out mining activities for the past two years, affecting employment and industrial activities.