‘Take loans and don’t repay, will waive off once in power’: Anitha Kumaraswamy | Bengaluru

Anitha Kumaraswamy, wife of Janata Dal (Secular) second-in-command HD Kumaraswamy, on Friday asked voters to take loans under the Stree Shakti scheme and not repay them as her husband will waive off all loans within 24 hours of coming to power.

The Ramanagara MLA was addressing a public rally in Karnataka, a video of which is making rounds on social media platforms. “Kumaranna (Kumaraswamy) has announced that he will waive off all loans under the Stree Shakti scheme within 24 hours of coming to power. Take as many loans as you want now. He will clear all of them later. No problem,” she can be heard saying in the video.

It was shared to Twitter by a user called ‘Hate Detector’, and has over a thousand views so far.

This comes ahead of an assembly election in the southern state next year. Anitha had announced last week that she will give up her seat for her son, 32-year-old actor-turned politician Nikhil Kumaraswamy. “Nikhil will be contesting from Ramanagara. I trust the people of this constituency that they would extend their love and support to him,” she had said at the regional party’s state-wide tour.

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Former Karnataka chief minister Kumaraswamy also said, “I’m placing Nikhil in your (voters’) lap. You are like his parents now. It is up to him to gain your confidence as a son. At no cost should you fall prey to any politics of conspiracy. Empowering him will empower you.”

The JD(S) also became one of the first parties to release a list of 93 candidates for the upcoming assembly elections. HD Kumaraswamy will be contesting from Channapatna constituency.