Belur: Even as the poll campaign has reached peak with just two days to go for public canvassing, JD(S) Supremo and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, in a surprising assertion, said that his son H.D. Kumaraswamy (HDK), who is contesting from Channapatna, would take oath as the CM  on May 18.

Addressing JD(S) poll rallies at Sakaleshpur, Belur, Arasikere and other parts of Hassan district on Friday, Deve Gowda slammed Congress and BJP for giving false assurances to the people just ahead of the Assembly polls. Maintaining that the people of the State would teach a lesson to the two national parties (Congress and BJP), he contended that JD(S) was sure of coming to power in the State and HDK would take oath as the next CM on May 18.

“I have been campaigning for JD(S) even in my ripe age in order to save the regional party. The State needs a regional party like JD(S) in order to ensure implementation of projects such as Mekedatu and Mahadayi. I have fought for the rights of Karnataka as an MP and though BJP had 18 MPs from the State then, I did not get the support what I wanted from them,” he said adding that Congress and BJP had failed to read the pulse of the people.