Disappointment was writ large on the face of the Janata Dal (Secular) State president H.D. Kumaraswamy, when he faced the media on Wednesday after the results of the polls. Excerpts of the interaction:
Q. Are you disappointed?
A. Of course. Some section of the media influenced the electorate through pre-poll surveys and created suspicion in their minds over the prospects of the JD (S). Though it failed to discharge its responsibility as an Opposition party, people blessed the Congress and rejected the JD (S), which actually functioned as principal Opposition party.
What about the defeats of party stalwarts Anitha Kumaraswamy and P.G. R. Sindhia?
We fielded Anitha Kumaraswamy much against her wish to help the people of Channapatna. JD(S) had lost its strength in that constituency and “unseen” hands worked against the party. Of course, we were also a bit over-confident. Had I visited the constituency once, she would have won.
Are you upset with the defeat?
No. JD(S) is used to defeat. We have seen both defeat and victory over the years. Mr. Deve Gowda and I have won and lost electoral battles. People will understand the impact of opting for the Congress in the days to come.
What do you attribute the defeat to?
Funds crunch and misinformation campaign. Had we had funds, we would have won in another 20 constituencies.
What is your future strategy?
We have reconciled to the situation and bow to the peoples’ verdict. We will sit in Opposition, as desired by the electorate and safeguard the interests of the people.
How do you rate BJP’s performance?
The Karnataka Janata Paksha succeeded in its mission.
