Anitha not my choice for Ramanagara : H.D. Kumaraswamy

Bengaluru: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy claimed on Monday that it was not his  decision to field his wife Anitha for the Ramanagara assembly bypoll, but  it was the people of the constituency who wanted her.   

“When I was forced to contest from both Ramanagara and Channapatna in the last assembly  poll, the people of Ramanagara had told me that if I resigned, one of our family members must contest the by-election. And so  Mrs Anitha had to contest. It was not my personal decision,” he contended, speaking to reporters here on Monday. 

Asked if more members of his family, like his son, Nikhil or his nephew,  Prajwal would contest the  coming Parliamentary elections, Mr Kumaraswamy answered in the negative.  He, however, quickly added, “It will be their individual decision (if they do).''

When  his attention was drawn to family members of various political leaders contesting the November 3 Lok Sabha and assembly bypolls,  Mr Kumaraswamy said his family had been accused the most of  following dynastic politics, but now everyone was  bringing their family members into politics.

“We may have to be blamed less now,” he added.