Karnataka Elections: Eliminating fundamentalist forces is of paramount importance, says H D Deve Gowda
BALLARI: Janata Dal (Secular) patriarch H D Deve Gowda strongly feels that despite their differences and friction, regional and secular parties will come together after the 2019 Lok Sabha election to eliminate fundamentalist forces. He says Narendra Modi became PM only because secular leaders did not come together in time. Excerpts from an interview:
You shared the stage with Siddaramaiah to campaign for a common candidate after a decade. How does the transition feel?
It is not the question of H D Deve Gowda and Siddaramaiah coming together. It is about secular forces coming together to eliminate fundamentalist forces at the national level in 2019. That is of paramount importance today. You must realise today that whether it is D K Shivakumar, V S Ugrappa or Deve Gowda — we may be concerned with only our state, but the message that we are attempting to drive across is that fundamentalist forces should be eliminated, no matter what the difference between secular leaders are at the state as well as the national level. They should come together to ensure the country moves forward on a peaceful path.
Would you say that Karnataka’s model of coalition is an example for all other regional parties across the country?
It certainly is. There may be some friction about sharing of seats for the election, but sharing of seats may not materialise at all in many states. But please understand that after the election, all regional and secular parties, whatever may be the minor differences, will come together to decide the future of the nation by electing a leader as Prime Minister.
Who really is benefitting more out of the JD(S)-Congress alliance, given the dissent in places like Mandya and Hassan?
Of course there is friction. We have fought each other for years, but we have come together in the last few months at the leadership level. But at the workers’ level, there maybe some friction. Before 2019 all the differences, even at the grassroots level, will certainly be eliminated and they will all come together to fight unitedly in the 2019 parliamentary elections.
Is JD(S) looking to strengthen itself, if not revive, with a coalition with the Congress? Will it be similar for other regional parties?
It is not about strengthening JD(S) or Congress. There is no Congress in 18 states, let’s be frank. Talk about the ground realities, but that doesn’t mean all of the 18 states have a secular leader. Don’t forget that every state has a regional leader who has emerged strong like N Chandrababu Naidu.
We are trying to bring all secular leaders together. Modi has become Prime Minister because of certain failures of secular leaders in coming together in time. I made an effort to bring them on board but unfortunately, some leaders refused to cooperate. Had they taken my advice, things would have been different. That is why Modi attacked me saying a Third Front is being formed to give this country third-grade development. On the day he made that statement, I had gathered a host of regional party leaders in my house.
As a Prime Minister who came from the Third Front, would you prefer someone from regional parties as PM or back Rahul Gandhi?
There is no question of supplementation at all. Minus Congress, nobody can form the government. With Congress, they will collectively take a decision and try to find a suitable candidate. So far as Karnataka is concerned, I am with Congress and I will naturally support Rahul Gandhi as the future Prime Minister.