"I feel that injustice has happened with Mallikarjun Kharge", HD Kumaraswamy's veiled dig at Congress

In a veiled attack at the Congress, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Tuesday said that senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge was not given enough recognition for his work by his party.

Mr Kumaraswamy said that Mr Kharge should have been made a Chief Minister long back.

"Mallikarjun Kharge should have become the Chief Minister long ago. I feel that injustice has happened with him. I would like to clearly state that even I feel that Kharge has not been given recognition for all the work he has done," the Chief Minister said while addressing a public rally in Chincholi.

Mr Kharge is a two-time Lok Sabha lawmaker from Gulbarga constituency in Karnataka and is a leader of Congress in Lok Sabha. He had also served as a cabinet minister in the Karnataka Government.

Mr Kumaraswamy was addressing the rally in support of Congress by-election candidate Subhash Rathod from Chincholi assembly seat which will go to polls on May 19.

Congress and Mr Kumaraswamy's JDS stitched an alliance in Karnataka after the state elections last year.

WATCH: Karnataka Congress Openly Counts-down To Siddaramaiah's Return As Chief Minister, Delivers Big Snub To Kumaraswamy

Meanwhile, The Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka seems to be on rocky ground, as reports have come out that Karnataka Home Minister and Congress Leader, M B Patil, on Tuesday has hinted that Congress Leader Siddaramaiah should take over the Chief Minister post again. Speaking exclusively to Republic TV, Patil said that 'while Kumaraswamy is the CM for five years, Siddaramaiah deserves to be CM again.'

"This government is going to last for five years unless decided otherwise by Congress president Rahul Gandhi and JD(S) president H D Deve Gowda. Chief Minister Kumaraswamy is there for five years. Thereafter we aim to come back (in the next Assembly polls) on our own. Naturally, Siddaramaiah had done fantastic work in the last five years and brought out a lot of programs when he was Chief Minister. He definitely deserved and is entitled to one more term," said Patil.