Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (S) national president H.D. Deve Gowda categorically stated that the JD(S) would not have any kind of electoral tie up with the BJP in the State and the party’s cooperation with the BJP in the Assembly should not be construed as a future electoral alliance.
Addressing a press conference in Kalaburagi on Friday, Mr. Deve Gowda said the floor coordination with the BJP in the Assembly was only on common issues to put the government in the dock and nothing more should be read between the lines.
On his recent statements on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and those of his son and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy about the BJP, Mr. Deve Gowda said, “I only stated that one-year rule of BJP at the Centre was free from corruption charge…and this statement was made before the outbreak of the Lalit Modi controversy. I had also highlighted the failure of the Union government to tackle farmers’ issues”.
Mr. Deve Gowda said the JD(S) would not have any electoral tie-up with the BJP or the Congress and that Mr. Kumaraswamy has learnt lessons by tying up with BJP earlier and would not make the mistake again. “JD(S) would fight the ensuing elections to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike on its own strength.”
He reiterated the party’s demand for the resignation of Lokayukta Y. Bhaskar Rao and handing over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Mr. Deve Gowda said the manner in which the State government was trying to protect Mr. Rao gave room for suspicion.
To a question, he said the State government can put a stop to the rising number of farmers’ suicides by announcing a one-time waiver of interests on crop loans and rescheduling the principal loan amount. Farmers who had suffered loss due to vagaries of weather conditions should be adequately compensated, he said.
