Justifying his son and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s statement that he would not let the present dispensation fall, Janata Dal (S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda said it was made as the party was not ready to face fresh elections in the event of a government collapse.
“Kumaraswamy’s statement was made in a certain context. We need time to strengthen the party. Can we fight the elections unprepared?” Mr. Gowda asked at a press meet on Tuesday. “Siddaramaiah may want elections, but I do not want them now,” he added.
This came even as Mr. Kumaraswamy continued to take pot shots at the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly for his statements that midterm polls were imminent. In an obvious reference to Mr. Siddaramaiah, Mr. Kumaraswamy tweeted, “Some people are are keen to bring down the government even if it means waste of public money with the selfish motive to become Chief Minister. Do not forget that most MLAs who resigned are from your party.” He advised the Congress leader to take care of his own party first.
Meanwhile, Mr. Gowda said that if the BJP government continues to work in the present manner, the public would teach it a lesson. “It will be an advantage for the Opposition. Either us or the Congress can take advantage,” he said.
The former Prime Minister’s justification comes at a time of speculation of possible back-channel arrangements between the JD(S) and the BJP, which is currently surviving on a wafer-thin majority. When his attention was drawn towards JD(S) legislators allegedly wanting the party to have an arrangement with the BJP to prevent midterm polls, he said, “Why do you worry about MLAs? Senior leaders, including me and Kumaraswamy, have felt that if this government survives, we will have time to strengthen the party and identify and field candidates in all 224 constituencies.”
Mr. Gowda, however, said that while his party does not want midterm polls, the political reading currently is that the internal bickering in the saffron party might result in the collapse of the government. “Everyone is waiting for it, but I don’t want such a situation.”
Meeting with MLCs on Nov. 12
The peace meeting brokered by JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda between party MLCs and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and former Minister H.D. Revanna is likely to happen on November 12. The meeting was originally scheduled for Wednesday but has been postponed as Mr. Kumaraswamy is in London.
