The former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda has said that the efforts to unite various Janata Parivar parties has suffered a setback at the national level and it is not happening at the State level too.
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, he said that the proposal to merge the parties was postponed after the Bihar Assembly elections at the behest of Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Mr. Gowda said that he had made all efforts on his part at the national level to bring together all the Janata Pariwar members under one platform. His efforts to bring about a unity at the State level too had not succeeded.
“I personally spoke to Janata Dal (United) State chief M.P. Nadagouda and invited him to join hands with the Janata Dal (S), but his [Mr. Nadagouda’s] response was lukewarm. He said that let the unity take place at the national level and we can think about it in the State later.”
Mr. Gowda said that he had always stood by the principles of unity among all non-Congress and non-BJP parties and to wage a joint struggle against the Congress and the BJP in national and State politics.
“Even in the upcoming zilla and taluk panchayat elections, which will set the trend for the next Assembly elections, I am striving for unity among all non-Congress and non-BJP parties,” he said.
Alliance with Left
Mr. Gowda said that the Janata Dal (S) was open to an alliance with the Left parties with whom the party had a long-standing relation in the State and outside. “The Janata Dal (S) is ready to accommodate the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party too and I will speak to BSP supremo Mayawati and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav to prevent division of the anti-Congress and anti-BJP votes.”
Mr. Gowda began his tour of the Hyderabad Karnataka region from Bidar on Monday to hold talks with party leaders and workers on the selection of candidates for the zilla and taluk panchayat elections.
He said that after visiting Yadgir, Raichur and Ballari districts, he would visit the Mumbai Karnataka region to hold discussions with party workers.
“The Janata Dal (S) has a base in north Karnataka and we will harness it and strength it to win the zilla and taluk panchayat elections.”
Mr. Gowda endorsed the views of Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha M. Mallikarjun Kharge about moneybags winning the elections to the Legislative Council from the local bodies constituency.
To another question, he said that although Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not responsive to his earlier pleas on solving the problems faced by the farmers, he would again try to meet him and take up the issues of farmers with him.
In the upcoming zilla and taluk panchayat elections, which will set the trend for the next Assembly elections, I am striving for unity among non-Congress and non-BJP parties.
H.D. Deve Gowda,
National president of
Janata Dal (Secular)
‘The proposal was postponed after the Bihar elections, at the behest of Lalu Prasad Yadav’
