Janata Dal (Secular) national president H.D. Deve Gowda has said that he would think of political retirement only after bringing the party to power in the State.
Handing over the task of leading the party in the Lok Sabha elections to the newly-appointed State unit president A. Krishnappa, Mr. Deve Gowda said, “My aim is to build the party as an alternative to the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.”
On the election of the new State unit president, necessitated as H.D. Kumaraswamy quit the post, Mr. Deve Gowda said: “The election was unanimous and all the leaders of party will support him in organising and strengthening the party.”
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“Mr. Krishnappa’s election is a message to critics, and the reiteration of the party’s concern for the backward classes,” Mr. Deve Gowda added.
‘Making way’
Mr. Kumaraswamy said that he had quit the State party chief’s post to provide an opportunity to leaders from other communities.
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He was prepared to quit as the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly to pave way for a Dalit leader to occupy the post “if my party legislators agree.”
Admitting that the party could not come to power because of his “mistakes, politically”, Mr. Kumaraswamy said that he would not be deterred by the defeat in the byelections.
Mr. Krishnappa alleged that when he was in the Congress he had fallen “victim to the politics of caste and money power”.
Mr. Krishnappa criticised the Congress government for not taking action on the Lokayukta report and its failure to address the drought and flood situations in the State.