Former Prime Minister and JD (S) supremo H. D. Deve Gowda said he would not like to re-enter national politics for the time being and would remained confined to Karnataka till the BJP Government is removed.
Mr. Gowda, who met top Communist Party of India (CPI) leaders D. Raja and A. B. Bardhan over dinner on Sunday, told The Hindu on Monday that he does not wish to re-enter national politics at this stage as Karnataka was being ruled by the “worst possible Government he has seen in 53 years of his political life”.
It may be mentioned here that Mr. Bardhan had called upon Mr. Gowda to lead the struggle of farmers and workers at the national level instead of restricting himself to state politics.
Mr. Gowda said he brought to the notice of the CPI leaders, whom he described as his “old friends”, the maladministration in the State and the ruthless manner in which the farmers are being treated. “The Government has put behind bars several innocent farmers, including women”, he said.
Though the JD (S) was for removal the BJP Government, Mr. Gowda said his party is not in a position to do it on its own. “It (removal of the BJP Government) has to be done jointly with the Congress”, he said. It was in this context that former Chief Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy had entered into a seat understanding with the Congress party during the recently held elections to the 25 legislative council seats from local bodies, he added.
Meanwhile, Secretary, National Council of CPI, Mr. D. Raja, described his and party colleague Mr. Bardhan’s meeting with Mr. Gowda on Sunday as a “courtesy visit” in which politics in Karnataka also came up for discussion.
When he was asked if their overtures to Mr. Gowda to lead the national struggle of farmers and workers were intended to revive the Third Front, Mr. Raja said the JD (S) supremo was with them though “there is no Third Front as such”. Mr. Raja said that Mr. Gowda in the course of the meeting had described the present Government as “the worst Government Karnataka has ever seen.”
