No alliance with Congress : JDS Supremo Deve Gowda
Apr 04, 2023
New Delhi [India], April 4 : Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) supremo HD Deve Gowda on Tuesday ruled out the possibility of forging an alliance with Congress for the upcoming Assembly elections in Karnataka and said that former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy does not want to go with any party aiming to sideline any "obstacle" in the governance.
Speaking to ANI, the former Prime Minister said that the party aims to win the elections on its own.
"Two national parties and one regional party (JSD) are fighting the battle. It is very difficult to assess who will win or form the government. So many people may claim "We are going to get the majority". Some people's assessment is Hung Assembly. At the same time, some surveys have been made about all the former CMs. In the survey, HD Kumaraswamy is the tallest leader," Deve Gowda said.
Notably, JDS had stitiched an alliance with the Congress after 2018 polls in which JDS secured 37 seats and Congress got 78 seats.
When asked that JDS had stitiched an alliance with the Congress in 2018 and whether it will again opt to join hands with Congress, he said, " The party will win the elections with thumping majority on its own."
Pointing to the difficulties and hurdles in implementing programmes during a coalition government, he said, "Two national parties resources wise, they have got their own strength. People are going to give support. For a regional party, it is difficult. In 2018, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and Ashok Gehlot came to me and persuaded me. Ultimately, because of their persuasion, I accepted (the alliance). Kumaraswamy always says that he wants to implement all the programmes. It requires huge resources. To raise the resource, if there is a coalition, there may be an obstacle. That is why he always says give me 123 seats."
"Kumaraswamy is not willing for any alliance with anybody. Yes, Congress, I have never attacked Rahul Gandhi or Sonia Gandhi, whether in office or not in the office. I have never attacked the Prime Minister. He is there for the last nearly 10 years," Deve Gowda added.
Outrightly rejecting the presumption that the results of the Karnataka Assembly elections will have impact on 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he said that it would not be a "deciding factor" for the next year general polls.
"2024 is a Lok Sabha election. India is a vast country. Karnataka has hardly 28 MPs. It is not a deciding factor," he said.
Karnataka will go to Assembly elections on May 10 in a single phase and the counting of votes will be done on May 13.
