JD(S) looking to repeat erstwhile Janata Dal’s 1994 victory, says H.D. Kumaraswamy

Former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy recalled that the BJP was not a political force in 1994 with the main fight between the then Janata Dal and the Congress

Former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy addressing a press conference in Mysuru on Monday. | Photo Credit: M.A. Sriram

The Janata Dal (Secular) is hoping to repeat the results of 1994 Assembly elections in Karnataka when the erstwhile Janata Dal came to power on its own.

Addressing a media conference in Mysuru a day after the valedictory of the Pancharatna Rathyatra, former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said he had urged the people of old Mysuru region to give the JD(S) at least 75 seats while around 35 seats will come from north Karnataka.

Mr Kumaraswamy said the erstwhile Janata Dal, led Ramakrishna Hegde, J.H. Patel, S.R. Bommai, Siddaramaiah, M.P. Prakash, P.G.R. Sindhia and R.V. Deshpande, among others, came to power in 1994 by winning around 80 seats from old Mysuru region and 36-37 seats from north Karnataka.

He recalled that the BJP was not a political force in 1994 with the main fight between the then Janata Dal and the Congress.

In 1994, the erstwhile Janata Dal won around 115 seats, paving the way for H.D. Deve Gowda to become the Chief Minister of Karnataka.

Referring to Mr Siddaramaiah’s claim that the party could not go beyond 58 seats even when he was in Janata Dal (S), Mr Kumaraswamy sought to remind the Congress leader that there was the contribution of other leaders, including him, when the party won 58 seats. But, the 40 seats that had come to the party subsequently were entirely due his efforts, Mr Kumaraswamy claimed.

He said the party will, even now, win 50 seats without much effort. “We are putting in so much of effort for the coming Assembly elections only to secure a clear majority by winning 123 seats for implementation of its Pancharatna programmes — free education, free healthcare, initiatives for farmers in agriculture and irrigation, employment for one member of each family, and housing for all.

Mr Kumaraswamy does not foresee the Congress party winning more than 75 seats in the coming elections while dismissing the claims of Congress leaders that the party will win 140 seats.

Questioning the Congress for bringing down the government he headed in 2019, the JD(S) leader blamed the Congress for the ‘bad’ BJP coming to power in Karnataka.