Bengaluru: In one of the most direct attacks against the Congress, Janata Dal (Secular) supremo HD Deve Gowda on Friday said that the only choice ahead was a mid-term polls in the state.
Gowda castigated the coalition partner saying, “They [Congress] said they will support us for five years, but their behaviour hasn’t been in line with this promise. Our people are smart. They are watching them [Congress].”
As an afterthought, Gowda added: "But there will be no danger from my side. I don’t know how long this [Karnataka] government will last. It is in the hands of the Congress and not Kumarswamy.”
The former prime minister's comments came as his arch rival and former chief minister and Congress legislative party leader Siddaramaiah had told the party high command that the party should end its alliance with the JD(S).
But many see nothing new in Gowda's latest comment. He has been in the habit of crying wolf on mid-term elections in order to threaten the Congress. Little wonder that KPCC president Gundu Rao brushed aside Gowda's comment saying that it was his personal viewpoint and that the coalition was working fine.
As his midterm 'astra' failed to fire, Gowda's confusion got amplified when he later clarified that he was referring to the local body elections and not the state election. But then, there is no scope for a midterm elections in local bodies. At 86, the former PM seems to be confused.
Speaking to reporters, Gowda said the Congress had lost its strength and this led to the debacle in the Lok Sabha polls.Gowda also said that he did not want his son HD Kumaraswamy to be the chief minister of Karnataka. “I was the glue for the coalition in Karnataka.
Sonia and Rahul Gandhi sent Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ashok Gehlot to Bangalore. While having a discussion, I told them the pain of the coalition I had experienced before. I told them I don't need it [coalition],” said Deve Gowda.
He then revealed that he had suggested Mallikarjun Kharge's name for the post of the chief minister. However, Ghulam Nabi Azad later told Deve Gowda that Rahul Gandhi wanted Kumaraswamy to be the chief minister, a demand Gowda had to agree with.
Just earlier this week, Kumaraswamy had claimed that he was in great pain running the coalition government.
Despite signs of cracks and differences, the two parties have repeatedly insisted that there is no threat to the coalition and said that the government will last for the full term of five years - at least to keep the BJP away.
By Shankar Raj
