Former Prime Minister and JD(S) national president H.D. Deve Gowda said here on Monday that the party had not yet decided on whom to support in the BBMP.
He made it clear that party MLAs have taken the corporators to a resort only to keep the flock together and there have not been talks with any of the Congress leaders. “Neither Chief Minister or Digvijay Singh of the Congress has consulted me seeking the party’s support, nor am I expecting them to call me. We are the party with only 14 members. We are prepared to sit in the opposition,” he said.
There were reports in news channels that the BJP leaders were trying woo five JD(S) members. Such reports put pressure on the MLAs. “In order to keep the flock together, the MLAs wanted to take the elected members to a resort. I said ok, as they get security in resorts and it is not easy for the political parties to reach them there. We know what happened in the BJP rule. Our party suffered most because of Operation Lotus,” he said.
Regarding BJP Union Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda’s visit to his house in Bengaluru, Mr. Deve Gowda said he came and sought the party’s support. “I told him it was wrong on his part to meet me. He should have not come at all.” Further, he recalled that just a couple of days before Mr. Sadananda Gowda met him, BJP leaders had passed scathing remarks on the JD(S). “BJP State president Pralhad Joshi had said we JD(S) leaders had no face to visit north Karnataka as neither me nor H.D. Kumaraswamy joined the delegation which met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Mahadayi issue. Similarly, Leader of the Opposition Jagadish Shettar had commented that the JD(S) had vanished in the capital. Why would they require our support, then?,” he asked.
Mr. Deve Gowda said his party contested for 189 seats in Bengaluru. The party could not provide financial support to 132 candidates. “We did not give even a paisa to any of them. For the remaining people, we gave little bit to around 50 candidates. We concentrated on 30 seats and we could win only 14 of them.”
Stating that no party had secured the required strength to come to power in the BBMP, he added the situation had prompted chances of an alliance. “Our party is not for bargain. We have not approached anyone,” he said. He added that he had advised H.D. Kumaraswamy to hold a meeting of all MLAs, MLCs and corporators after the dates for the election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor are announced and take the final decision.
