JD(S) youth wing president Nikhil Kumaraswamy inaugurates party workers meeting and membership meeting in Periyapatna on Wednesday. | Photo credit: special arrangement
Reiterating confidence that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will form the government in Karnataka after the 2028 assembly elections, JD(S) youth wing president Nikhil Kumaraswamy on Wednesday reiterated that people across the state want Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel HD Kumaraswamy as their chief minister. He made a similar claim in January at a party rally in Hassan.
Mr. Nikhil Kumaraswamy, Mr. Kumaraswamy’s son, criticized the Congress government during the ‘Janarondige Janata Dal’ campaign and JD(S) membership registration drive, alleging that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s tenure has only increased the state’s debt burden.
Mr. Nikhil Kumaraswamy said that the demand for Mr. Kumaraswamy to become the Chief Minister was not just his personal opinion. Referring to his 9,000-km nationwide journey, he claimed to have personally witnessed how people remembered Mr. Kumaraswamy’s government with appreciation.
Mr. Nikhil Kumaraswamy also responded to Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and said that he will prove his strength in the coming days. “Victory or defeat in elections is not permanent. In 2028, people will decide who to vote for and who to defeat,” he said.
Published – 18 Feb 2026 20:49 IST