Gowda hints at support to govt. if things go amiss

Bommai calls on JD(S) supremo at the latter’s residence

Chief Minster Basavaraj Bommai visiting JD(S) national president H.D. Deve Gowda at his residence in Bengaluru.

In what set a buzz in the political circles on Sunday evening, former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) patriarch H.D. Deve Gowda dropped broad hints that the regional outfit could come to the rescue of the ruling BJP “if there is trouble”.

“It is a feeling that if there are troubled times for this government, we should cooperate,” he told reporters after meeting Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai here. “The (JD-S) party is not interested in going to elections and we have not thought about it as well. The (BJP) high command has blessed Mr. Bommai and everyone has blessed (him). Probably I feel that there will be no trouble. I do not know.”

The former Prime Minister said: “Mr. Bommai has the blessings of (former Chief Minister) B.S. Yediyurappa. However, I do not know if it (administration) can be managed by keeping Mr. Yediyurappa out,” he said. Explaining his stance, he said: “We (JD-S) have no desire to go to elections before 2023. The zilla panchayat and taluk panchayat elections will be completed in 2022. After that there will be about eight to nine months for the (Assembly) polls.”

While Mr. Gowda’s son and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy had several times in the past reiterated the stand that the JD(S) would not destabilise the government and would extend issue-based support to the BJP government, it is for the first time that the party supremo has spelt out his stance.

In fact, Mr. Kumaraswamy’s public support soon after the collapse of his 14-month-old JD(S)-Congress coalition, triggered by the BJP, had been seen in political circles as cozying up of the regional party with the saffron party.

Earlier, Mr. Bommai met Mr. Gowda to seek his blessings. He was accompanied by former Minister V. Somanna, both of whom had migrated to BJP from the Janata Parivar. Former Minister and JD(S) leader H.D. Revanna was also present at the meeting.

Later, speaking to presspersons Mr. Bommai said that Mr. Gowda was a tall leader and had been his father S.R. Bommai’s contemporary and associate. “He has blessed me and suggested that I should do good work for the State to resolve long pending issues,” he said. “We did not discuss anything in particular. I will meet him again to seek his advice in the coming days. When it comes to the State’s water and land issues, all of us are together,” he added.