After expressing doubts over the longevity of the BJP government in the State, the former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has said he foresees the Centre “forcing midterms polls on Karnataka”.
Speaking to reporters here on Thursday, Mr. Kumaraswamy claimed that Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa had been denied the freedom to function independently and said the Centre may be considering a proposal to force midterm polls on the State.
“The chances [of the Centre forcing midterm polls on Karnataka] are high,” Mr. Kumaraswamy said after claiming that the Centre had clipped the wings of Mr. Yediyurappa, who returned to the post of Chief Minister “with great difficulty”.
“We need not do anything to disturb this government. The midterm polls will take place because of the decisions taken by the Centre,” he said.
According to information he had received, Mr. Kumaraswamy claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had, “through rude gestures”, sent away the Chief Minister, a Deputy Chief Minister, and some Union Ministers from Karnataka when they went to meet him on his arrival in Bengaluru recently. Mr. Kumarawamy regretted the poor treatment the representatives of people of Karnataka received at the hands of the Prime Minister.
Lashing out at the Centre for its “indifference” to the flood-hit people of Karnataka, Mr. Kumaraswamy said the Centre had not released any funds to the State to take up relief work. The Prime Minister, the former Chief Minister said, goes to Russia and announces aid of ₹7,000 crore to the country, but the Centre had no funds for the flood victims of Karnataka.
Making a similar prediction, JD(S) national president and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda in Mandya district predicted elections to the Karnataka Assembly by the year-end.
The JD(S) patriarch said chances of conducting byelections to the Legislative Assembly from the 17 segments represented by disqualified MLAs were very less, and the Centre may initiate measures to conduct elections in the State along with polls to Jharkhand and Maharashtra Assemblies.
Meanwhile, the former Minister G.T. Deve Gowda continued to maintain a distance from the JD(S) by staying away from the party meeting held here under the leadership Mr. Kumaraswamy.
Though Mr. Kumaraswamy sought to play down Mr. G.T. Deve Gowda’s absence, he acknowledged the former Minister’s growing proximity to the BJP government in the State. “He will return to the party after sharing his experience of organising Dasara as Minister in charge of the district last year, with the present government,” Mr. Kumaraswamy said.
