The Hindu : New Delhi News : Talk of change of guard premature: Kumaraswamy

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Thursday, Jul 26, 2007
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Talk of change of guard premature: Kumaraswamy

Special Correspondent

The correct picture will emerge on October 3, says Chief Minister

Move in JD (S) once again to align with Congress
Venkaiah Naidu has said JD(S) should honour pact

NEW DELHI: Even as the BJP, his coalition partner stepped up pressure on the transfer of power, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Wednesday dubbed talks about change of guard in the State as “premature.”

“You will get a proper answer on that day. It is premature to discuss all these things now,” he said, when reporters asked him about his views on the issue of transfer of power.

As per a formula agreed to by BJP and Janata Dal (S) at the time of the formation of the coalition Government in the State on February 3, 2006, the Janata Dal (S) was to head the Government for the first 20 months and then hand over power to the BJP. Consequently, there has to be a transfer of power on October 3. However, there have been moves on the part of some JD (S) leaders to try and forge an alliance with the Congress, resulting in mounting pressure from the BJP on the JD(S) to stick to the agreement.

In a statement in Bangalore recently, BJP leader M. Venkaiah Naidu stressed that the JD (S) must honour the “solemn” understanding reached between the two parties.

When presspersons brought the attention of the Chief Minister to the statement, he would only say, “It is not necessary to react to all these things” and added “you will get the correct picture on October 3.”

Mr. Kumaraswamy, who was here to attend the swearing-in ceremony of President Pratibha Patil, called on Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, leading to speculations that they discussed the current political situation in Karnataka and the election to the post of Vice-President. (JD-S had abstained from voting in the presidential poll on the ground that it wanted to maintain equidistance from the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance and the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance).

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